National Grid agrees to $1 million settlement for 2023 Oneida home explosion

ONEIDA, NY — The New York State Public Service Commission on Thursday approved the terms and conditions of a $1 million settlement agreement that would resolve all alleged violations by National Grid in connection with a natural gas incident at 532 W. Elm St., Oneida, in Madison County on the 9th. September 2023. The commission’s decision is based on the staff’s investigation of the incident.

In the early hours of September 9, 2023, an individual drove a stolen vehicle into a residence at 532 West Elm Street, Oneida, Madison County. The vehicle struck the home’s exterior gas meter and completely severed the shut-off valve at the gas meter. The damage to the gas meter caused a natural gas leak above ground. Emergency 911 dispatchers contacted National Grid for a field response to the incident. Several neighboring homes were evacuated by the police and fire department.

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A responding National Grid employee determined they could not stop the blowing gas into the residence, so they called National Grid dispatch for a specialized gas operation unit. However, this employee did not call for an electrical operations personnel to turn off the power to the residence, nor did they take steps to disconnect the power with available tools. After approximately three hours had passed, while National Grid crews were preparing their equipment and personnel, the residence violently exploded, completely destroying the structure. Fortunately, no one was injured in the explosion.

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The investigation determined that the dispatched National Grid employee, as a first responder, took no affirmative action to disconnect electrical service to the residence and therefore apparently failed to remove potential sources of ignition. The National Grid employee also apparently failed to call for additional help to shut off power to a residence that was filled with flammable natural gas for approximately three hours.

The investigation also found that National Grid policies and procedures do not appear to include sufficiently detailed protocols for interrupting electric service during a natural gas emergency. Staff interviewed National Grid’s dispatch manager and discovered that he apparently did not report the explosion incident to the Department of Public Service in time. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, National Grid shareholders will pay $1 million for enhanced safety measures and training to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“The commission takes its role in ensuring public safety very seriously,” said Commission Chairman Rory M. Christian. “This gas explosion shows that we will hold utility shareholders fully accountable for violations through enforcement action to protect the public.”