Con Edison has asked large consumers of power in midtown Manhattan, including in Times Square, to reduce energy use as the utility repairs electrical cables damaged by salt and melting snow from an unrelenting winter.
Major consumers from West 52nd Street to 39th Street and Fifth Avenue to Broadway are lowering their usage after several rounds of snow and ice storms have battered the city, Con Edison said.
"The problems on the cables are caused by road salt and melting snow and ice getting into the underground electrical delivery system," Con Ed said in a statement. "Conservation by customers will help take pressure off the remaining cables in the area until Con Edison repairs those that are damaged."
Con Ed said voltage had been lowered by 5 percent in the area.
The utility on Wednesday asked customers in part of Harlem to reduce usage and not use non-essential appliances as crews work on cables there. That area is from 131st Street to 153rd Street and Riverside Drive to Broadway.
During the latest storm on Wednesday, there were just scattered outages in New York City. Across the river in New Jersey, more than 65,000 customers lost power, and nearly 5,000 still didn't have it back a day later.
About 2 to 4 inches of snow fell in the city Wednesday before the ice moved in. That accumulation came after the 8 to 10 inches that fell in the area on Monday. Areas north and west of the city saw an additional 4 to 6 inches, with slightly higher amounts further north.
