Equipment Problem Knocks Out Power to 1,700 in Broome County

Trouble at a substation caused an interruption in electric service to several hundred NYSEG customers in Binghamton and two neighboring towns.

Utility spokesman Joe Rusin said the power outage was traced to an equipment problem at a company facility.

The service interruption affected more than 1,700 NYSEG residential and business customers starting around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Electricity went out on the SUNY Broome Community College campus in the town of Dickinson. The campus remained open, although classes that were in areas without natural light were not held.

According to NYSEG, 684 Dickinson customers were affected by the outage, along with 557 customers in the town of Chenango and 448 customers in the city of Binghamton.

The electricity for all of the buildings at the Legacy Bay Townhomes complex on Ely Park Boulevard in Binghamton was knocked out, affecting more than 400 apartments.

Broome County sheriff's deputies and New York State Police troopers directed traffic at some of the busiest Front Street intersections.

New York State Department of Transportation workers hooked up generators to operate some traffic signals.

Several Front Street businesses - including a Starbucks shop and the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - were closed because of the power outage.

Power was restored to affected customers shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

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