A panel, formed by the governor after storms in August and October caused extensive and lengthy power outages, has done a good job of identifying weaknesses in emergency response and recovery plans, while coming up with suggested improvements. The Two Storm Panel, however, did not have the responsibility of determining how much it will cost to better prepare the state or how it would be paid for.

The challenge for the state, municipalities, Connecticut Light & Power and other utilities is to cull through the 42-page report, set priorities and begin working on implementation plans that balance preparation with fiscal constraints.

We welcome the panel's recommendation that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection study the use of underground utilities where feasible and practical - such as cities, other densely developed areas, and for connections serving hospitals and other critical facilities. The study proposes life-cycle analysis, recognizing that underground installation, while initially costly, can produce long-term savings.

It calls for a statewide tree-risk assessment study as the basis for a collaborative effort by utilities, towns and the state to reduce risks to power lines.

CL&P estimates that a 10-year program to trim trees and harden infrastructure could reduce outages by 40 percent, but cost the average electric customer $13 a month, certainly not good news for a state that has among the highest electric rates in the nation.

State regulators must take a hard look at addressing the report's findings of a "toxic relationship … between labor and management" at CL&P, the state's dominant power utility, and at its call for tough preparedness and response performance standards, with financial penalties for failing to meet them.

The report's most sobering conclusion is that Connecticut is not prepared for handling a "worst possible" event, most likely a hurricane on the magnitude of the 1938 storm. Such a storm today could cause $54 billion in damages with power outages in some locations stretching for months, it concludes. Rising sea levels tied to global warming are adding to the coastal flooding dangers.

By comparison, Tropical Storm Irene in August and the freak Oct. 29 snowstorm collectively caused damages of $750 million to $1 billion with power fully restored in under two weeks.

Forewarned, the state must do what it can reasonably afford to be ready. Extensive relocation of lines underground, aggressive tree trimming, tougher preparedness standards for utilities and a review of emergency plans for a major disaster event are realistic goals.