MetroFocus: March 27, 2020

> THIS IS 'METROFOCUS' WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD, AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

'METROFOCUS' IS MADE POSSIBLE BY JAMES AND MERRYL TISCH, SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, THE SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM.

BERNARD AND IRENE SCHWARTZ, ROSALIND P. WALTER, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, AND BY --

> WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE A GROUP INTEGRAL TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

HOWEVER, THEY ARE.

AS EARLY AS JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE GROUP WAS URGENTLY PRESSING ASIAN GOVERNMENTS TO BAN WET MARKETS, AND THE TRADE OF WILDLIFE.

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

DR. CHRISTIAN WALTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL HEALTH WITH THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY, IS HERE TO EXPLAIN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF WILDLIFE AND THE CORONAVIRUS, AND THE POSSIBLE IMPACT IT COULD BE HAVING ON OUR DOMESTICATED PETS.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM, DOCTOR.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

SO FIRST, I JUST WANT TO START WITH FOR SO MANY OF US WHO ARE PROBABLY SCRATCHING OUR HEAD AT THE PHRASE 'WET MARKET.'

WHAT EXACTLY IS IT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT?

SO THE WET MARKET IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND CHINA IS REALLY A HUGE MARKET WHERE ALL KINDS OF PRODUCTS ARE SOLD.

AND IT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, RESOURCE FOR LOCAL POPULATIONS AND URBAN POPULATIONS DO NEED THESE MARKETS.

BUT WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIFIC TO OUR PROBLEM AT THE MOMENT IS THAT ON THESE SO-CALLED WET MARKETS, A LOT OF WILDLIFE IS ALSO BEING TRADED, MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF WILDLIFE.

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THE DIVERSITY OF SPECIES THAT IS TRADED THERE.

YOU'LL FIND PORCUPINES AND CATS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT BIRDS, YOU'LL FIND ALL KINDS OF WILDLIFE THERE.

A LOT OF RATS, DIFFERENT SPECIES OF RATS ARE BEING USED.

ALL OF THESE ARE STASHED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, NEXT TO DOMESTIC SPECIES NEXT TO PIGS, POULTRY.

SO IT'S REALLY A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF ANIMALS ALL TOGETHER IN A SMALL SPACE.

AND SO WHAT'S HAVING ALL THESE ANIMALS TOGETHER IN A SMALL SPACE, HOW DOES -- WHAT MAKES THAT, I GUESS, A BREEDING GROUND FOR VIRUS OF SOME SORT?

SO WHAT IS REALLY SPECIAL ON THESE MARKETS AS WELL IS THAT THE ANIMALS ARE STILL ALIVE.

IT'S NOT LIKE YOU GO TO A PUMPER AND JUST BUY A PIECE OF MEAT OR SOMETHING.

THIS IS -- THE ANIMALS ARE ALIVE.

SO THEY'VE BEEN CAPTURED SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD, TRANSPORTED IN SOME CASES ACROSS THE ENTIRE GLOBE, TO END UP ON THE MARKET SOMEWHERE IN ASIA.

AND THESE ANIMALS ARE OBVIOUSLY MASSIVELY STRESSED AND EXCRETING THEIR FECAL MATTER, SALIVA AND SO ON.

THEY ALSO EXCRETE THEIR VIRUSES, WHICH CAN GET PASSED ON TO OTHER ANIMALS.

SO IT'S A PERFECT BREEDING GROUND FOR NEW VIRUSES.

SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS IS THAT FOR SO MANY AMERICANS, PARTICULARLY PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT LIVE IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT LIKE NEW YORK CITY, BUT PERHAPS IN SOME OF THE MORE RURAL AREAS, EATING WILDLIFE IS KIND OF COMMON.

THERE'S A LOT OF DEER HUNTERS, PEOPLE WHO SHOOT AND EAT BEARS.

IF YOU GO SOUTH OF HERE, THERE'S PEOPLE WHO EAT WILD TURKEY, ALLIGATORS, ET CETERA.

AGAIN, HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM EATING MEAT FROM THESE WET MARKETS?

SO ONE OF THE HUGE DIFFERENCES IS, OF COURSE, THE DIVERSITY OF SPECIES.

IT'S VERY COMMON IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD, I COME FROM EUROPE, WE EAT A LOTDEER, IT'S QUITE NORMAL.

BUT WE HAVE EVOLVED WITH EATING DEER AND BEARS OVER MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

AND WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE ADAPTED TO THE PATHOGENS THAT THEY CAN TRANSMIT.

ON THESE WET MARKETS, THE ANIMALS ARE COMING FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE, SO THEY WILL BE BRINGING NOVEL PATHOGENS TO POPULATIONS THAT ARE NAIVE, CREATING NEW INTERPHASES THAT DO NOT HAPPEN IN A NORMAL, RURAL AREA.

NOW, IS COVID-19 THE ONLY VIRUS TO HAVE EMERGED FROM -- BECAUSE I ALSO WANT TO BE SPECIFIC THAT ACCORDING TO YOUR ORGANIZATION'S RESEARCH, THAT A LOT OF THIS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE COVID-19 VIRUS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO A SPECIFIC WET MARKET IN WUHAN, CHINA.

WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE CAREFUL.

ONE THING THAT IS IMPORTANT IS THIS VIRUS CAN BE TRACED BACK, THE ANCESTRAL HOST IS IN A BAT SOMEWHERE IN CHINA MOST LIKELY OR SOMEWHERE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

IT'S ONE OF THE HORSE SHOE BAT SPECIES.

HOW IT GOT FROM THE BAT INTO HUMANS IS NOT QUITE CLEAR.

HOWEVER, THE FIRST EPICENTER OF THE OUTBREAK WAS THIS MARKET, AND SPECIFICALLY THE WILDLIFE SECTION OF THAT MARKET WHERE THE SPILLOVER OCCURRED.

HOWEVER, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO PROVE CONCLUSIVELY, BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SAMPLES LEFT THAT WERE AT THE MARKET AT THAT TIME.

BUT THAT IS THE MOST LIKELY EXPLANATION.

WE HAVE SEEN THIS VERY SIMILAR VIRUS IN 2002-2003 WITH THE SARS VIRUS, WHICH ALSO CAME FROM BATS ORIGINALLY.

IT WAS THEN PASSAGED IN THE SO-CALLED CIVIC CATS AT THE MARKET AND THEN INTO THE HUMANS, WHERE IT TRANSMITTED FROM HUMAN TO HUMAN.

SO WE'VE SEEN BAT VIRUSES GET PASSAGED IN AN ANIMAL WHERE THEY CHANGE THEIR STRUCTURE AND ABILITY TO INFECT HUMANS.

AND THEN THEY ENTER HUMAN CELLS.

SO IT'S AN ASUCH THEN WE CAN MAKE, PROBABLY SOMETHING WAS GOING ON AT THAT MARKET, THAT THE SPILLOVER OCCURRED.

ALTERNATIVELY, ONE HAS TO BE FAIR, THEY COULD HAVE SPILLED OVER FROM A BAT TO A POPULATION OF HUMANS SOMEWHERE, AND PASSAGED IN THOSE HUMANS BEFORE IT BECAME WHAT WE NOW CALL SARS TWO.

OKAY.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO WANT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT IS WHILE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THESE WET MARKETS IN CHINA, IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC.

WE'RE NOT SORT OF BLAMING ALL ASIAN PEOPLE.

NO, NO.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT ALL BLAME AT ALL.

THE WORLD HAS CHANGED MASSIVELY.

THE MAIN THING THAT'S CHANGED IN THE WORLD IS THE INTERCONNECTIVENESS.

SO THE HAZARD OF CONSUMING WILDLIFE IN THESE EXOTIC SPECIES OF WILDLIFE, AND ALSO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THAT COME WITH IT, WHICH IS THE ILLEGAL TRADE IN WILDLIFE, WHICH IS MASSIVE, AS WELL.

IT HAS BEEN WELL KNOWN, BUT WHAT'S REALLY CHANGED, AND IT'S REALLY A MARKED CHANGE SINCE 2003, IS HOW QUICKLY PEOPLE ARE MOVING ALL OVER THE GLOBE.

SO A VIRUS SPILLOVER, WHICH IN THE PAST SAY 40 YEARS AGO, WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN A LOCAL COMMUNITY, MAYBE A FEW DEATHS, WOULD NOT HAVE BECOME A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.

BUT NOW, A SMALL EVENT LIKE THAT, A SPILLOVER OF A SINGLE CORONAVIRUS INTO THE HUMAN POPULATION CAN SPREAD OVER THE GLOBE WITHIN A MATTER OF MONTHS.

IT'S UNBELIEVABLE THAT MID JANUARY IS WHEN MOST OF THE WORLD CAUGHT ON WHAT WAS GOING ON.

AND NOW WE'RE GETTING TO THE END OF MARCH AND THE ENTIRE WORLD IS BASICALLY FACING THIS CRISIS.

SO WE NEED TO RE-EVALUATE OUR POSITIONS, AND THAT'S WHY THE WILD WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY HAS BEEN ADAMANT THAT WE BAN THIS WILDLIFE TRADE IN THE MARKET, WHICH IS JUST A MASSIVE TRADE.

SO WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT.

WELL, I DO WANT TO TURN TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE U.S., IN ADDITION THAT THEIR OWN HEALTH IS THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IS THEIR PETS.

NOW, FOR SEVERAL PEOPLE, FRIENDS OF MINE AND COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE HAD PUPPIES, WHO HAVE SAID WAIT A SECOND, CORONAVIRUS, I'M CERTAIN MY PUPPY HAD SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE STRAIN OF THE VIRUS THAT YOUR DOG MIGHT GET AND WHAT PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH NOW.

SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT.

THERE ARE A LOT OF CORONAVIRUSES OUT THERE IN THE WORLD.

THE VERY COMMON COLD IN HUMANS IS ALSO A CORONAVIRUS, WHICH DOESN'T CAUSE TOO MUCH CONCERN FOR MOST PEOPLE.

IN CATS AND DOGS, CORONAVIRUSES ARE ALSO VERY COMMON.

WE SEE THEM IN GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS WHERE YOU GET DIARRHEA AND THAT SORT OF THINGS.

THERE'S ALSO CALLED THE F.I.P.

DISEASE IN CATS.

BUT THESE ARE DIFFERENT VIRUSES AND CANNOT BE CONFUSED IN ANY WAY WITH THIS COVID-19.

THERE HAVE BEEN, AND I'M SURE YOUR LISTENERS ARE -- THE VIEWERS HAVE SEEN THIS.

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ANECDOTAL REPORTS OH OF TWO DOGS BEING COVID-19 POSITIVE IN HONG KONG.

AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SAY AT THE MOMENT THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE, NO FEAR TO BE HAD FOR ONE'S PETS.

THEY ARE NOT GOING TO FALL SICK, AND THEY CANNOT TRANSMIT THE DISEASE BY THE BEST KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE NOW.

THE ANIMALS THAT WERE POSITIVE, WERE IN TIGHT QUARTERS WITH THEIR POSITIVE OWNERS.

AND THE TESTS THAT ARE BEING USED ARE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE.

SO ANY SURFACE AREA WOULD PICK UP THE VIRUS.

AT THE MOMENT, THEY BASICALLY -- THERE'S NO WORRY AT ALL ABOUT YOUR DOGS IF YOU ARE COVID-19 POSITIVE.

FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOG IN YOUR HOME IF YOU ARE POSITIVE AND TRY NOT TO -- BASIC HYGIENE, THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE MAINTAINED WITH YOUR PETS.

YOU SHOULDN'T BE KISSING YOUR DOG ALL THE TIME, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

THAT MIGHT BE A BIG ASK FOR SOME PET OWNERS.

I KNOW, I GET IT, IT'S A BIG ASK.

BUT THERE ARE A FEW REASONS NOT TO DO THAT TOO OFTEN.

YOU KNOW, JUST BE SENSIBLE AND IF YOU'RE COVID-19 RESPONSIBLE, YOU SHOULD BE RESTRAINED FROM DOING THAT WITHIN THE TWO, THREE WEEKS.

MY LAST QUESTION, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT, WE'VE BEEN HEARING SUCH AN OVERWHELMING NEED OF SHELTER ANIMALS, THAT THEY ARE -- A LOT MORE PEOPLE SEEM TO BE SURRENDERING THEM FOR REASONS WE DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND.

DEPENDING ON WHERE CERTAIN SHELTERS ARE, THEY MIGHT BE IN CITIES OR COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE WORKFORCE, SO THEY'RE UNDERSTAFFED.

I'M JUST WONDERING FROM A VETERINARIAN'S PERSPECTIVE, WHAT IS SOMETHING -- AGAIN, WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS CROWDED INTO AN AREA, WHAT IS THE BEST THING TO DO FOR THEM?

YOU KNOW, IF YOU OWN A DOG AND A CAT, YOU HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT CAT.

AND THERE IS -- I CAN ONLY REITERATE, THERE'S NO DANGER IN THE VIEW OF THIS OUTBREAK FOR YOUR DOG OR FROM YOUR DOG OR CAT.

SO THERE'S NO REASON TO GIVE UP THAT ANIMAL.

YOU NEED TO MAYBE GET ORGANIZED, BECAUSE DAILY LIFE HAS CHANGED.

YOU MAY HAVE TO ORGANIZE WITH FAMILY SOMEHOW TO GET YOUR DOG WALKING.

BUT YOU CAN GO OUTSIDE, WALK YOUR DOG.

THERE'S NO WORRIES.

SO KEEP YOUR DOG AT THE MOMENT, PLEASE DON'T GIVE IT UP.

THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

OF COURSE, OF COURSE.

I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR NOT ONLY GIVING US PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT TO DO OR WHAT NOT TO WORRY ABOUT WITH OUR DOMESTIC PETS.

BUT I THINK A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW IT IS THAT WE GOT HERE AND THAT -- AS WE ARE IN THIS ALL TOGETHER, AND PART OF THAT MIGHT BE REDUCING OR ELIMINATING THE INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE TRADE.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

ABSOLUTELY.

> HILLS CHANNEL PRESENTS, CORONAVIRUS IN REALTIME.

MANY OF US HAVE SEEN A DRAMATIC CUT IN INCOME, SO WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT ALL THOSE BILLS THAT KEEP COMING?

WHEN IT COMES TO CREDIT CARDS, MANY COMPANIES ARE ALREADY WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS STRUGGLING BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.

COMPANIES ARE LOWERING THEIR APR, DEFERRING PAYMENTS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND WAIVING INTERESTS AND FEES.

AUTOFINANCE COMPANIES ARE ALSO WILLING TO DELAY FEES.

CALL YOUR BANK AND EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON.

THAT INCLUDES MORTGAGE COMPANIES, WHICH ARE WORKING TO HELP CONSUMERS RIGHT NOW.

AND TALK TO YOUR PHONE PROVIDERS AND UTILITIES, BECAUSE THEY ARE EASING SHUTOFFS.

STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN DELAYED INTEREST FREE FOR TWO MONTHS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO ALLHEALTHTV.COM.

STAY TUNE FOR THE HEALTH CHANNEL FOR COVERAGE OF THIS SITUATION IN REALTIME.

> HI, I'M SPEAKING TO YOU FROM HOME.

A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE ALSO WORKING FROM HOME NOW.

AND WITH THAT COMES AN INCREASE RELIANCE ON THEIR HOME ELECTRICITY.

THE NUMBER MONTHS HAVE BEEN TAXING FOR NEW YORK CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE PRIOR TO THIS HEALTH CRISIS.

WILL THE CHANGE CREATE AN ADDED BURDEN?

I'M HERE WITH A SPOKESPERSON FOR CON EDSON.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

GOOD TO BE HERE.

HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL.

YOU TOO.

FIRST OF ALL, HOW ARE YOUR WORKERS HANDLING THIS HEALTH CRISIS?

IS EVERYBODY STAYING SAFE AND KEEPING CUSTOMERS SAFE?

OUR WORKERS ARE VERY COMMITTED.

WE HAVE A BIG UNION WORKFORCE, AND THEY'VE BEEN FANTASTIC.

VERY, VERY COMMITTED.

OBVIOUSLY, LIKE ANYBODY ELSE, A LITTLE BIT ANXIOUS, A LITTLE TENSE.

CONCERN FOR THEM AND THEIR LOVED ONES.

BUT THEY ARE WORKING.

AND WE ARE FOCUSED ON TRYING TO PROVIDE RELIABLE SERVICE WHILE KEEPING OUR EMPLOYEES SAFE AND KEEPING OUR CUSTOMERS SAFE.

THOSE ARE THE TWO MAIN OBJECTIVES AS WE GET THROUGH THESE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.

SURE.

WHAT STEPS NEED TO BE TAKEN TO HANDLE THE NEW SITUATION?

IT'S A NEW WORK SITUATION FOR US.

JUST LIKE IT IS FOR YOU AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE.

AND NEW SERVICE ARRANGEMENT WITH OUR CUSTOMERS.

FIRST, FOR THE EMPLOYEES, WE ACTUALLY HAVE GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO TRY TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE SAFETY AND HYGIENE STANDARDS, PROMOTED BY THE CDC.

SO THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING, CONSTANT CLEANSING OF YOUR HANDS, ARE PRACTICED REGULARLY.

WE TRY TO GIVE THEM EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THAT.

WE HAVE ALSO SET UP TEMPORARY WORK SITES OUTSIDE THEIR NORMAL WORK SITES.

SOME IN PARKING LOTS, PARKING CENTERS, WHERE WE WILL DISPATCH THE CREWS FROM THERE, SO THAT THEY'RE NOT REPORTING TO THE REGULAR SITE.

IT'S ALL PART OF SOCIAL DISTANCING, ALL TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE APART AND AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE.

ON A CUSTOMER SIDE, WE'VE MADE SOME CHANGES TO TRY TO EASE THE PAIN AND BE -- EASE THE CONCERNS OF PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE WORKING FROM HOME OR MAYBE OUT OF WORK.

FIRST, WE'RE NOT HAVING ANY MORE SERVICE TERMINATIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING TROUBLE MEETING THE BILLS.

WE DO ASK THAT THEY STAY IN TOUCH WITH US AND WORK OUT PAYMENT PLANS GOING FORWARD.

BUT WE ARE NOT HAVING ANY SERVICE TERMINATIONS.

ALSO, WE HAVE SUSPENDED ALL METER READINGS ON SITE.

IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS, WE HAVE RESTRICTED THE METER READINGS, ONLY FOR THOSE METERS LOCATED ON THE OUTSIDE.

WE HAVE SINCE BANNED THEM ENTIRELY.

WE HAVE STOPPED SMART METER INSTALLATIONS, WE HAVE WAIVED LATE FEES AND ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO SEND IN THEIR OWN METER READINGS, AS THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO DO ONLINE WITH US.

IT'S CONED.COM.

MANY UTILITIES OFFER THE SAME THING, AND JUST TO MAKE LIFE EASIER.

ONE THING I WILL NOTE, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SMART METER INSTALLATION PROGRAM AND WE'RE ABOUT 60% OF THE WAY THERE.

SO OF OUR 3.3 MILLION CUSTOMERS, MORE THAN HALF HAVE GOT SMART METERS.

SO WE'RE ALREADY GETTING THOSE READINGS.

THAT'S FANTASTIC.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THOUGH, NO ONE WILL BE GOING TO ANYONE'S HOME OR APARTMENT UNLESS IT'S A SERVICE EMERGENCY OR SERVICE REQUEST BY THE CUSTOMER.

THAT'S FANTASTIC.

IN TERMS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE OF IT, HOW IS YOUR TEAM HANDLING THAT?

ARE YOU CONCERNED AT ALL WITH THE SUMMER APPROACHING THAT PEOPLE WORKING FROM HOME IS GOING TO STRESS THE POWER GRID AT ALL?

ONE INTERESTING THING ABOUT PREPARING FOR SUMMER WITH US IS THAT IT STARTS THE PREVIOUS FALL AND WINTER.

WE INVEST EVERY YEAR CLOSE TO $1.5 BILLION IN OUR ELECTRIC DELIVERY SYSTEM.

THAT'S FOR NEW YORK CITY AND WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

ABOUT 135,000 MILES OF CABLE.

95,000 MILES OF THAT IS ON THE GROUND.

MANY TRANSFORMERS, MANY PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT IS UPGRADED.

WE FOCUS ON KEY AREAS.

AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE THE FALL.

WE'VE CONTINUED IT.

WE HAVEN'T SLOWED DOWN.

WE'RE STILL ON TARGET TO MEET OUR SUMMER PREP NEEDS.

THE ONE INTERESTING THING THAT WILL MAYBE CHANGE IS THE DEMAND.

AND A LOT DEPENDS ON HOW LONG THIS GOES ON.

WE'RE NOT IN THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS YET.

TELL US ABOUT THE DEMAND CHANGE THAT COULD HAPPEN.

CORRECT.

SO IF I CAN TRY TO PUT IT INTO SOME FIGURES IN NORMAL TIME LIKE WE HAVE TODAY, COOL TEMPERATURES IN THE 50s AND 60s, A TYPICAL DEMAND FOR CONEDDISON SERVICE AREA IS 1200 MEGA WATTS.

IN THE SUMMER, IT WILL BE 12,000, 13,000 MEGA WATTS ON THE HOTTEST DAYS, SO QUITE A JUMP.

THE MULLING OF THAT IS DRIVEN BY MANHATTAN WHERE YOU HAVE THE LARGE, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.

WITH THOSE BUILDINGS, MAYBE NOT IN FULL USE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT DROPOFF IN MANHATTAN.

AND MORE PEOPLE STAYING HOME ALL DAY LONG.

NOW, WE PLAN FOR -- IN OUR INDUSTRY, WE CALL IT THE PEAK HE CAN TRICK USAGE FOR ANY GIVEN NETWORK, AS WE LIKE TO CALL IT.

A PEAK, THAT'S THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF ENERGY USED AT ANY GIVEN HOUR DURING A DAY.

AND EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ITS OWN INDIVIDUAL PEAK, BECAUSE WE DIVIDE UP OUR GRID INTO NETWORKS.

SO WE KNOW WHAT THOSE PEAKS ARE GOING TO BE.

IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN THE SUMMER, THOSE PEAKS MIGHT BE HAPPENING SAY BETWEEN 4:00 AND 11:00 P.M. WHEN PEOPLE ARE COMING HOME.

IF PEOPLE ARE HOME ALL DAY, YOU MIGHT SEE THAT PEAK LONGER.

SO YOU MIGHT HAVE LONGER PEAKS, BUT SOMEWHERE UNDER THAT.

OUR GRID IS BUILT TO HANDLE THAT.

THAT'S WHAT WE PREPARE FOR.

THAT'S WHAT WE TRY TO MAKE.

BUT TIME WILL TELL IN OUR ANALYSIS WILL CONTINUE ON WHETHER WE HAVE TO DO ANYTHING EXTRA TO MEET WHAT COULD BE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SUMMER DEMAND IN THE REZ DNSIDENTIAL AREAS.

IS THERE SOME WAY YOU ARE ANTICIPATING WHAT THOSE NUMBERS COULD BE?

IS THERE ANY ENGINEERING THAT IS GOING TOWARD THAT?

WE'LL CONSTANTLY COMPARE WHERE WE ARE NOW TO WHERE WE ARE THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT MODELS, BECAUSE NO WEEK OR MONTH IS THE SAME TEMPERATURE AS IT WAS LAST YEAR.

SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF -- OUR ENGINEERS HAVE A LOT OF SOPHISTICATED WAYS OF ANALYZING WHAT THE NORMAL TEMPERATURE MIGHT BE AND WHAT THE DEMAND MIGHT BE.

THERE ARE ALSO ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS THAT EXIST NOW THAT DIDN'T EXIST LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE THAT.

SO THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS DRIVE DOWN THE DEMAND.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO THIS, PROBABLY EVEN MORE SOPHISTICATED THAT MY HEAD.

BUT WE WILL TRY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON WHAT PEOPLE ARE USING, HOW MUCH AND WHAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE RELIABLE SERVICE THEY NEED.

THIS IS AN UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION IN TERMS OF POTENTIALLY HAVING PEOPLE HOME MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY DURING THE DAY, PURPOSING THEIR AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, PLUGGING IN THEIR PHONES.

HOW ARE YOU MODELING WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR THE POWER GRID AND DO YOU THINK THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INCREASED CHANCE IN OUTAGES BECAUSE OF THESE CIRCUMSTANCES?

LIKE I SAY, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT'S GOING TO GO INTO IT.

TO UNDERSTAND THE USAGE INTO SOMEONE'S ELSE, WHETHER IT WAS THREE PEOPLE THERE OR NINE PEOPLE THERE, THEY MIGHT BE USING FORECOMPUTER MORE COMPUTE COMPUTERS, SO YOU'RE NOT USING ANY MORE ENERGY.

BUT IF THERE ARE NINE PEOPLE IN THE HOME AND THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON, IT WILL WORK HARDER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF NINE PEOPLE VERSUS THREE PEOPLE.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTERESTING ANALYSIS THAT HAS TO HAPPEN IFYING OUR OUT HOW MUCH MORE ENERGY RESIDENTIAL APARTMENT BUILDINGS MIGHT BE USING.

WE MAY FIND THAT IT'S NOT THAT DIFFERENT.

IT'S HARD TO SAY AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE THEY WILL BE HOME ALL DAY VERSUS A FEW HOURS OUT OF THE DAY.

BUT WE'LL BE MONITORING IT NOW AND THROUGH THE WEEKS AND HONESTLY, HOPEFULLY BY THE TIME THE REAL HOT WEATHER COMES IN JULY, LET'S HOPE WE'RE OUT OF THIS BY THEN.

ABSOLUTELY.

IN TERMS OF THE OUTAGES, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED NUMBER OF AIR CONDITIONING UNITS RUNNING, THINGS LIKE THAT DURING THE SUMMER.

IS IT POSSIBLE THE LIKELIHOOD OF OUTAGES HAPPENING WILL MOVE FROM MANHATTAN TO THE SUBURBS BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES OF THE USAGES?

YEAH, I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN NECESSARILY DRAW THAT CONCLUSION, LIKE YOU'LL HAVE MORE OUTAGES IN ONE PLACE VERSUS ANOTHER PLACE.

HEAT CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON EQUIPMENT, JUST LIKE YOUR CAR OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT RUNS REAL HARD DURING HOT WEATHER.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ENTIRELY PREDICTABLE OR WHERE IT MIGHT HAPPEN.

WE'RE LIKELY TO HAVE AN OUTAGE IN MANHATTAN AS WE ARE ANYWHERE ELSE, BECAUSE OF AN EQUIPMENT FAILURE, PUT ON BY HEAT, AND ALSO IMPACTED BY SOME DEGREE BY DEMAND.

I THINK THAT TO DRAW AN ASSUMPTION THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WILL BE A LOT MORE USAGE IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, IT'S A LITTLE EARLY TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.

BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE TUD STUD IT NOW.

WE HAVE BEEN SINCE THE START OF A WEEK AGO OR SO.

OUR ENGINEERS WILL SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING EXTRA THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP THE POWER FLOWING.

FANTASTIC.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK, MICHAEL.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME.

TAKE CARE.

YOU, TOO.

THANKS.

> FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, VISIT US AT METROFOCUS.ORG.

'METROFOCUS' IS MADE POSSIBLE BY JAMES AND MERRYL TISCH, SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, THE SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM.

BERNARD AND IRENE SCHWARTZ, ROSALIND P. WALTER, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, AND BY --