Hearings to examine Irene power response in Mass.

BOSTON -- Massachusetts residents who were left in the dark for days after Tropical Storm Irene will have a chance to voice their opinions on the performances of the state's two largest utilities.

The Department of Public Utilities announced Wednesday it will hold public hearings around the state to examine how National Grid and NSTAR prepared for the arrival of Irene and how they went about restoring power to hundreds of thousands of customers after the Aug. 28 storm. It took about a week before all customers were back on line, and some communities complained about receiving little or no information about restoration efforts.

The companies have defended their response, saying crews worked around the clock.

The first hearing will be Oct. 25 in Quincy, with others scheduled in Southborough, Attleboro, Brockton, Plymouth, Barnstable, New Bedford and Framingham.

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