Operation of the plant would most likely lead to large rate increases for many electric customers in New England, as its cost is passed on.

Throughout the state, at least 40,000 electric customers lost power.

It served 560,000 electric customers and 1.06 million natural gas customers in three states.

"But there will always be a need for some level of transferring both diesel and electric customers at Jamaica."

Thousands of electric customers in the state lost power.

The winds left 30,000 electric customers without power during the storm, primarily in the eastern part of the state.

As a result, the parent companies owe less in taxes than their electric customers paid.

Included in those reasons are, they said, significant future savings for electric customers on Long Island.

But it also calls for steps that would be felt by a substantial fraction of the company's 981,000 electric customers.

A merger would create the largest energy company in the Northwest, with 830,000 electric and 468,000 gas customers.