This archive report was first published on 15 July 2019.
On Saturday evening, a power failure at Con Edison's West 49th Street substation plunged a significant portion of Manhattan into darkness, affecting five networks that distribute electricity within particular neighborhoods, including Midtown West, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square.
According to Con Edison, the disruption was first detected at their control room in Midtown, where trouble was identified when circuit breakers popped open and 'de-energized' the substation. The power failure quickly spread, affecting an area that stretched south from 72nd Street between the Hudson River and Fifth Avenue.
As a result, 26 Broadway shows were forced to shut down, but all of them had returned to their regular schedules by the Sunday matinee, according to the Broadway League. The blackout also had a significant impact on small businesses, with Andrew Rigie, the executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, stating, 'It costs a fortune to run a small business in New York City, and when you lose a big Saturday night, it definitely hurts a small business's bottom line.'
Mayor's Office praised Con Edison for its speedy restoration of service, but Governor Andrew M. Cuomo was more critical, calling for an independent review of the failure. 'You lose power, chaos is right around the corner,' Cuomo said in a radio interview on Sunday on WINS-AM (1010).
