New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has launched a commission to probe the role of state utilities during major storms, including Superstorm Sandy and last year’s Hurricane Irene. The 10-member panel will investigate how the utilities have prepared for the storms and how they have responded when widespread damage ensued. Speaking at the partial reopening of the Battery Tunnel, Cuomo said the commission’s findings could lead to a major regulatory overhaul.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo: “Whatever their recommendations are, I want to get back with the Legislature in the beginning of next year, incorporate them and come up with a better system. Many of these systems were failing, to begin with.”

One of the utilities most highly criticized for its storm response was the Long Island Power Authority, or LIPA. On Tuesday, LIPA’s acting CEO, Michael Hervey, resigned, effective at the end of the year. Although power has been restored to hundreds of thousands of people, more than 130,000 remain in the dark two weeks after Sandy hit.