A Week After Manhattan Went Dark, Con Edison Faces Heat Wave

Consolidated Edison Inc. has been warning for days that New Yorkers could be on the verge of some isolated power failures. An upcoming heat wave, it says, could bake the pavement and overheat power lines below.

The warnings may sound a bit odd coming from a utility that has long withstood the strain of summer weather.

Widespread, heat-induced blackouts are rare in the region. This time around, though, the stakes are higher: Temperatures are rising just a week after a cascading power failure that plunged a large swath of Midtown Manhattan and the Upper West Side into darkness for hours. ...