The Department of Public Service (DPS) audit of LIPA/PSEG-LI fails ratepayers as an independent management review of LIPA/PSEG-LI. DPS continues to be a toothless tiger. DPS has demonstrated time and again that it will not provide rigorous oversight of Long Island's electric utility. This audit is more of the same.

The LIPA Reform Act should be amended. The rightful oversight role of the State Comptroller should be restored.

However, even this feckless audit could not hide the fact that LIPA/PSEG-LI has failed to provide the public with adequate information regarding major capital projects. The audit expressly states that customers are not being provided with the necessary details by LIPA/PSEG-LI relating to capital projects.

What the audit does not say is that this lack of transparency is not just bad management, but a deliberate attempt to hide the negative impacts of controversial projects from the communities they affect. Eastport is only the most recent illustration of that policy. East Hampton was also victimized by the failure of LIPA/PSEG-LI to be open and transparent with the public.

The result has been needless litigation that costs ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, while communities see their quality of life suffer. LIPA/PSEG-LI must not only reverse this policy in the future, but correct the damage that has already been done to communities like Eastport and East Hampton.