Assemblyman Keith P. Brown (R,C,I- Northport) voiced concern Friday over the Long Island Power Authority’s new four-year contract that was announced earlier this week.

The deal concluded months of tense negotiations following harsh public criticism of the company's failures during Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020. The incident caused more than 535,000 customers to be left without power for up to a week due to communications and technology breakdowns.

“It is my opinion that LIPA and those responsible for the failures that resulted in more than half a million people being without power for days on end must be held accountable,” said Brown.

LIPA Chief Executive Tom Falcone claims the company has addressed the issues that resulted in the disastrous situation following Isaias, but many Long Islanders remain skeptical of the power authority’s willingness and ability to operate independent from public regulation.

“I am calling on leadership in the state Legislature to delay the approval of the new four-year contract between LIPA and PSEG until we can address concerns with the company’s IT infrastructure and determine whether or not LIPA is prepared for the next storm that hits Long Island,” said Brown. “The Assembly Energy Committee and the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications have the power and ability to get to the bottom of this. A hearing and an investigation must take place to prevent another disaster like we saw after Tropical Storm Isaias.”