“A New Con Ed Shock” (Aug. 27) is rife with half-truths.

More instances of stray voltage are recorded on city-owned streetlights than in the rest of the state because Con Ed tests the equipment far more frequently than any other utility and the ground-breaking technology we developed is more effective.

The PSC states that “the rise in the number of findings by the mobile detection vehicles from 2005 to 2006 is attributed to Con Edison’s increased use of the vehicles last year.”

Our intensified testing has yielded dramatic success – the incidents of reported shocks have plummeted by 57 percent since 2004.

We are finding and eliminating stray voltage before it can harm a member of the public or a pet.

In addition, approximately half of all stray-voltage conditions we find involve equipment that does not belong to Con Ed, but we make the equipment safe and notify the property owner.

John Miksad

Senior Vice President

Electric Operations

Con Edison

Manhattan