ROCKVILLE, Md., August 30, 2010—Montgomery County Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg today testified at a Maryland Public Service Commission public hearing in Rockville that is part of the PSC’s investigation into the reliability of electricity provider Pepco.
The complete text of Councilmember Trachtenberg’s statement:
Good evening.
Earlier this year, Montgomery County experienced one of the most severe winter storms in years. With that storm, Pepco’s emergency plan and preparedness were tested. However, as our homes went without power for days and we were forced to take refuge in hotels of those fortunate areas that had power, we saw that Pepco’s emergency plan was inadequate. After the storms, we, the Council, met with Pepco and discussed their emergency plan. We concluded that improvements needed to be made. As noted then, this was not the first time Pepco’s emergency response was tested and shown to be inadequate.
This past July, several months since the winter, we experienced other severe storms causing major disruptions to our daily lives. During these instances, Pepco had the opportunity to prove to us—its customers and our constituents—that improvements were made and that they could implement an adequate response. It was an opportunity to restore our faith in the utility company. However, as we know, Pepco failed to meet our expectations. Once again, many of us lost power for days.
I am amazed that Pepco did not take any remedial steps to improve system reliability following the devastating winter storms and other disruptions. This was an important opportunity to assess system weaknesses and to enhance energy security for our County. That there were no ‘lessons learned’ and no remedial steps taken is unexplainable and inexcusable.
The frequency, number and duration of the power outages experienced by customers in the Pepco service area—and the apparent breakdown of adequate communication between the company and its customers during these outage events—is unacceptable. It was unacceptable for Pepco to begin a restoration information hotline days after the July storm that told everyone, regardless of where they lived or the severity of their situation, that a power restoration time would be ‘Friday at 11:59 p.m.’ A ghost ‘restoration time’ was neither the solution nor an adequate means of communicating real priority to consumers.
Frequent and extended interruptions in electric service, as we have experienced, undoubtedly have serious consequences for public safety, public health, business operations and our overall quality of life. As public officials, as community leaders and as concerned neighbors, we must be especially mindful of the dangerous impact that these extended outages have on the elderly, those who rely on their medical equipment, parents with infants and children—as well as our hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It should not take a tragic event or public health crisis for Pepco administrators to take action and improve both their emergency response and overall service quality. In my mind, our greatest obligation as public servants, and even as utility providers, is to protect the safety and well-being of our Montgomery County residents—the 305,000 who happen to be Pepco customers.
I hope that Pepco understands the responsibility they must honor in the months and years ahead.
Showing posts with label PEPCO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PEPCO. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Invitation to Speak at Public Hearing on Pepco Operations and Electricity Reliability
INVITATION
Public Hearing on Pepco Operations and Electricity Reliability
Monday, August 30, 2010
Montgomery County Council Office Building
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20852
I share your concerns about the reliability of the electricity system in Montgomery County. Too frequently, Montgomery County residents have had to suffer through extended interruptions in electric service, with serious impacts on public safety, public health, business operations, and their residential quality of life. At a recent Council hearing on these issues, I was astonished to learn that Pepco had not taken any remedial steps to improve system reliability following the devastating winter storms of earlier this year. This was an important opportunity to assess system weaknesses and to enhance energy security for our County. The fact that there were no ‘lessons learned’ and no remedial steps taken is inexcusable and demands investigation by the Maryland Public Service Commission.
On Monday, August 30, 2010, you are invited to attend and to share your concerns about the reliability of PEPCO’s electricity distribution reliability at a Public Hearing that will be held in the Council Office Building in Rockville.
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) is continuing its investigation into “the reliability of Potomac Electric Power Company’s (Pepco) electric distribution system and the quality of electric distribution service that Pepco is providing its customers” by holding a public hearing at the Montgomery County Council’s Stella Werner Office Building in Rockville at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 30.
The public hearing will be held in the third floor hearing room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. Elected officials who wish to speak should contact the PSC’s director of legislative affairs by Aug. 27.
If you wish to speak at the hearing, you must sign in at the hearing room starting at 5:30 p.m. Speakers will be limited to a maximum of five minutes. All attending must bring photo identification to enter the hearing room.
Written comments may be filed by Aug. 31. Originally signed comments on paper may be submitted to Terry J. Romine, Executive Secretary, Maryland Public Service Commission, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. Comments must reference “Case No. 9240—Public Comment.” To ensure comments are entered into the PSC docket system, all comments must be mailed or hand-delivered. Comments sent via e-mail or fax will not be entered into the Commission’s docket system.
The public hearing will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). The broadcast also can be viewed via streaming through the County Web site at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/.
This is an important valuable opportunity for you to express your views and opinions to the County Council about Pepco's operations and reliability. Your attendance and participation will help our efforts immeasurably.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Invitation to Public Hearing on Pepco and Electricity Reliability in Montgomery County - August 30, 2010 at 6 pm
INVITATION
Maryland PSC Public Hearing on Pepco Operations and Electricity Reliability
Monday, August 30, 2010
Montgomery County Council Office Building
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20852
On Monday, August 30, 2010, you are invited to attend and to share your concerns about the reliability of PEPCO’s electricity distribution reliability at a Public Hearing that will be held in the Council Office Building in Rockville.
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) is continuing its investigation into “the reliability of Potomac Electric Power Company’s (Pepco) electric distribution system and the quality of electric distribution service that Pepco is providing its customers” by holding a public hearing at the Montgomery County Council’s Stella Werner Office Building in Rockville at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 30.
The public hearing will be held in the third floor hearing room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. Elected officials who wish to speak should contact the PSC’s director of legislative affairs by Aug. 27.
If you wish to speak at the hearing, you must sign in at the hearing room starting at 5:30 p.m. Speakers will be limited to a maximum of five minutes. All attending must bring photo identification to enter the hearing room.
Written comments may be filed by Aug. 31. Originally signed comments on paper may be submitted to Terry J. Romine, Executive Secretary, Maryland Public Service Commission, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. Comments must reference “Case No. 9240—Public Comment.” To ensure comments are entered into the PSC docket system, all comments must be mailed or hand-delivered. Comments sent via e-mail or fax will not be entered into the Commission’s docket system.
The public hearing will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). The broadcast also can be viewed via streaming through the County Web site at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Councilmember Trachtenberg Attends Maryland Public Service Commission Hearing on PEPCO Reliability
Duchy Trachtenberg joined her County Council colleagues in Baltimore yesterday as the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) initiated “a proceeding to investigate the reliability of Potomac Electric Power Company’s (Pepco) electric distribution system and the quality of electric distribution service that Pepco is providing its customers.” The Public Service Commission ordered Pepco’s chief operating officer and the company’s senior officers responsible for system reliability and construction of maintenance, storm restoration and customer service and communications to appear at a “legislative-type hearing” in the commission’s 16th floor hearing room at the William Donald Schaefer Tower at 6 Saint Paul Street in Baltimore.
“I have ongoing concerns about the reliability of the electricity system in Montgomery County,” said Councilmember Trachtenberg. “Too frequently, Montgomery County residents have had to suffer through extended interruptions in electric service, with serious impacts on public safety, public health, business operations, and their residential quality of life. At our recent hearing on these issues, I was astonished to learn that Pepco had not taken any remedial steps to improve system reliability following the devastating winter storms of earlier this year. This was an important opportunity to assess system weaknesses and to enhance energy security for our County. The fact that there were no ‘lessons learned’ and no remedial steps taken is inexcusable and demands investigation by the Maryland Public Service Commission,” she said.
The Public Service Commission announced on Thursday evening, Aug. 12, that it would begin the investigation after morning and afternoon storms that day left more than 90,000 customers without power. The Commission’s order stated the investigation was being initiated “because of the frequency, number and duration of the power outages experienced by customer in the Pepco service area and the apparent breakdown of adequate communication between the company and its customer during these outage events.” The Commission went on to say that it “finds it necessary to conduct an immediate investigation into the reliability of the Pepco distribution system and the quality of distribution service Pepco is providing its customers, including but not limited to its performance during and following severe storms, and a comprehensive examination of Pepco’s storm preparedness and reliability.”
The County Council’s letter of July 29th to the PSC asking for an investigation cited many of the same concerns the PSC identified in deciding to act. In their letter, Councilmembers wrote: “We are writing to ask the Commission to open an investigation into the reliability of electricity in Pepco’s Montgomery County’s service territory. Our residents and businesses have suffered an unacceptable number and duration of outages for many years, outages that have harmed public health, public safety and the County’s economy. As a distribution-only utility, the quality and reliability of Pepco’s service is exclusively within your authority. We ask you to invoke that authority to ensure our citizens of acceptable levels of reliability.”
“I have ongoing concerns about the reliability of the electricity system in Montgomery County,” said Councilmember Trachtenberg. “Too frequently, Montgomery County residents have had to suffer through extended interruptions in electric service, with serious impacts on public safety, public health, business operations, and their residential quality of life. At our recent hearing on these issues, I was astonished to learn that Pepco had not taken any remedial steps to improve system reliability following the devastating winter storms of earlier this year. This was an important opportunity to assess system weaknesses and to enhance energy security for our County. The fact that there were no ‘lessons learned’ and no remedial steps taken is inexcusable and demands investigation by the Maryland Public Service Commission,” she said.
The Public Service Commission announced on Thursday evening, Aug. 12, that it would begin the investigation after morning and afternoon storms that day left more than 90,000 customers without power. The Commission’s order stated the investigation was being initiated “because of the frequency, number and duration of the power outages experienced by customer in the Pepco service area and the apparent breakdown of adequate communication between the company and its customer during these outage events.” The Commission went on to say that it “finds it necessary to conduct an immediate investigation into the reliability of the Pepco distribution system and the quality of distribution service Pepco is providing its customers, including but not limited to its performance during and following severe storms, and a comprehensive examination of Pepco’s storm preparedness and reliability.”
The County Council’s letter of July 29th to the PSC asking for an investigation cited many of the same concerns the PSC identified in deciding to act. In their letter, Councilmembers wrote: “We are writing to ask the Commission to open an investigation into the reliability of electricity in Pepco’s Montgomery County’s service territory. Our residents and businesses have suffered an unacceptable number and duration of outages for many years, outages that have harmed public health, public safety and the County’s economy. As a distribution-only utility, the quality and reliability of Pepco’s service is exclusively within your authority. We ask you to invoke that authority to ensure our citizens of acceptable levels of reliability.”
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