Why can't Maryland get rid of Pepco?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what's the answer? Going nuclear?

That's not going to improve the way electricity is distributed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what's the answer? Going nuclear?

That's not going to improve the way electricity is distributed.

pp here, though I think it's better than coal generation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what's the answer? Going nuclear?

That's not going to improve the way electricity is distributed.

pp here, though I think it's better than coal generation.

You're talking about power generation (nuclear and coal). The point is that PEPCO doesn't have abnormally bad power generation. They have abysmally bad power distribution, e.g. getting the power that is generated to customer points of service.

[Anonymous]

There is no problem with the power supply its Pepco's distribution maintenance. There is nothing special about the Maryland area and there is no "Potomac" triangle with supernatural forces taking down the power. This is simply monopolistic corporate behavior. Pepco's responsibility is to its shareholders NOT its customers who are a captive audience. The CEO makes a hefty profit when the company makes a profit. In a free market with consumer choices, Pepco would have gone out of business long ago. However, there is no choice and no accountability for Pepco. This is why Pepco avoids investing any money into any preventative actions and maintenance. This is why Pepco spends so much money on marketing trying to make you think that Maryland is somehow the only area in the country with any trees and areas with above ground power.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pepco ranks at the very bottom of the national rankings for reliability and customer satisfaction. Its basically the worst and most hated utility distribution company in the entire country. They have been fined for letting the system decay avoiding investing in tree trimming, not replacing equipment, and not installing more weather resistant cables/equipment and instead investing heavily in marketing and political contributions. Studies have shown that the tree cover in this area is not higher than other areas with more reliable service. Ironically, Pepco is the one that fails to maintain tree trimming anyway. Many areas with far higher reliability and outage response also have above ground cable.

They are on the airwaves now congratulating themselves of being ahead of goals by restoring some customers before Friday??? Are you kidding me? This will be their new approach. Whenever there is an outage they will self proclaim a ridiculously long, unacceptable in any other part of the country, and completely padded target goal where they can save the most money. They will then claim success. I'm developing a project plan for work right now. The project needs to be complete in six months and we'll have to apply resources to reach this time frame. I think I will just announce that the project will be done in five years. This way we will not have to spend hardly any money on it. I should be able to finish it in 4 years so I will declare success.

Since Pepco is a monopoly, consumers have no choice. I just do not understand why the state of MD can not shut them down and give the business to a different company.

I'm a third generation resident of Chevy Chase and I remember as a child, my mom would joke that if you slam the front door hard enough we'll loose power for three days. This was back in the late 60's and nothing has changed. You guys are wasting your time, have a natural gas generator installed and be done with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's too bad DCUM didn't have this kind of outrage when the kids in the summer camp were shot a couple of weeks ago.

where did this happen? what camp?

[Anonymous]

Am I wrong, but didn't pepco also inherit the oldest electric grid?
And that was built for a town that had smaller electric requirements
The area is now very densely populated.

Should we tell the wealthy to just pay more because it all needs updating and is aging.

Also, old areas tend to have high trees. The new developments have smaller trees

[Anonymous]

Does anyone else feel like someone from Pepco is posting on this thread? Pepco did not inherit the oldest grid in the country and the grid is not the problem. Maryland does not have the oldest trees in the country. It is the equipment along the distribution lines, lack of Pepco tree trimming, lack of preventative maintenance, and inability to manage restoration services.

I would have no problem paying higher rates to a completely different company but there is no way that I will vote for any rate increase or vote for anyone that trusts Pepco with more money. Why on earth would anyone trust them not to simply shuffle the money into profits for the shareholders? Why is it acceptable for the CEO to be given a 12% raise and profits to grow for shareholders as the service continues to decay? Pepco has never shown any ability to invest in its service. It only does so when absolutely forced and even then it quickly slides back to its old practices.

If shareholders suffered losses from Pepco getting kicked out of MD and future companies realize that profits and continued business in MD is dependent on actually delivering service then service will improve. Nothing will change as long as Pepco is in business.

[Anonymous]

But it is not the responsibility of pepco to trim trees
tree maintenance is for the home owners. The more desirable areas have leafy trees, some of them old leafy trees. Even a tree has a lifetime and becomes old and eventually dies

[Anonymous]

Pepco seems to spend a lot of money on huge Metro/Metrobus and other ads touting its commitment to reliability. Perhaps the company should spend some of that money actually improving reliability instead.