The beleaguered Long Island Power Authority is trying to get the hurricane-battered Rockaways back on the grid faster — by smoothing the way for licensed electricians to inspect damaged homes so power can be turned back on.
The change means there will be more boots on the ground available to certify the homes in question can safely have power restored, instead of having LIPA alone handle such inspections.
Nearly 32,000 people in the Rockaways are still without power two weeks after Superstorm Sandy.
Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder will hold a community meeting at 1 p.m. today at Beach 94th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard to explain the restoration process.
Electricians handling an inspection will fill out a LIPA form, which the homeowner must return to LIPA. The authority can then restore power within 24 to 32 hours, Goldfeder’s spokeswoman said.
The forms can be sent “either by e-mail or by fax, and if it’s by fax, I’ll put a fax machine on every corner if that’s the case,” spokeswoman Angelica Katz told The Post.
Con Edison reported outages of 15,086 including 9,692 in the city and 5,394 in Westchester County.