BUCHANAN – Dr. Matthew Cordaro is a former electric industry CEO having run the former Long Island Lighting Company and others including one in Nashville.
While his heart goes out to the residents of Puerto Rico who have been without power for weeks following the devastation of Hurricane Maria, he says the industry is doing the best it can.
“You just can’t snap your fingers and do that, especially when you are an island,” Cordaro said. “If something happened in the mainland, you are contiguous to other areas. It’s easier to bring in equipment, people to work on things, bring in material. Here in Puerto Rico, everything has to be shipped in, flown in, as well as the labor, equipment to be able to deal with the restoration process.”
He also noted that since the island’s government has been facing severe financial challenges, the condition of the infrastructure to begin with was probably not up to current standards making it that much more susceptible to Hurricane Maria’s devastating rains, flooding and winds.
