Anonymous wrote:Many utilities are for profit companies with a heavy layer of regulation. That's how to avoid monopolistic behavior when the product is a public good, while still retaining a modicum of competition. Do I think PEPCO is doing a good job? No. Do I think a new set of regulators/bureaucracy would do a better job? Maybe for 2-3 years max, but call me cynical. Will grousing on DCUM help? Heck no.

13:01, Comparing DC to Baghdad is beneath you, you know that's not true.

You know what, I have family in a 3rd world country, and this doesn't happen to them. Really. They saw this story on BBC and emailed me to make comments. We live in MoCo and they know our history of several multiple day power outages over the past few years and find it a bit crazy that this can happen 'in America'.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Did you post about it and provide links? I never heard the story.

Do you work for PEPCO? Why do you care if people are angry about outage #564788?

Actually it was all over the news and DCUM's moderator started a thread expressing his disappointment that no one here seemed to care.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/243622.page#2533385

Carry on about your precious electricity.

Oh, give it a rest with your high and mighty self. It's human nature that you're going to worry about the things that are affecting you first. We've had no power for 5 days, I have two young kids and we're on a pretty tight budget. Trust me, I've got tons of compassion, but right now, we're just all about surviving this heat. Yes, deaths of any kids are a tragedy, and people post about those deaths on here all the time. As you've noted, there IS another thread. Feel free to start another new thread about it if you'd like. But, don't disparage the other posters for trying to deal with their own problems.

Many utilities are for profit companies with a heavy layer of regulation. That's how to avoid monopolistic behavior when the product is a public good, while still retaining a modicum of competition. Do I think PEPCO is doing a good job? No. Do I think a new set of regulators/bureaucracy would do a better job? Maybe for 2-3 years max, but call me cynical. Will grousing on DCUM help? Heck no.

13:01, Comparing DC to Baghdad is beneath you, you know that's not true.

baghdad has better power than pepco

I'm not a PEPCO fan either. But the other power companies really aren't even better -- BGE, Delvarva all still have power outages too.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Did you post about it and provide links? I never heard the story.

Do you work for PEPCO? Why do you care if people are angry about outage #564788?

Actually it was all over the news and DCUM's moderator started a thread expressing his disappointment that no one here seemed to care.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/243622.page#2533385

Carry on about your precious electricity.

OK, but you selectively clipped my post to eliminate the part where I said I'm dubious that replacing the old bureaucracy with a new bureaucracy is going to help, at least after the first few years. If you think replacing PEPCO with MOCEPCO will work, go for it, but don't come crying to me after two years.

Pepco is a for profit company. MD politicians should be kicked out for letting them get away with this but this is not just Pepco being bureaucratic and inept. Pepco has a demonstrated pattern of diverting investments to maintain the service in order to increase profits. Pepco is very savvy at finding ways to minimize investments to provide reliable service and provide the worst service in the country while continuing to operate and make a big healthy profit. Pepco would love for you to believe that no could do better because as long as you do they can continue to operate abysmally, avoid any accountability for their actions and decisions, and profit from it.

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.

Did you post about it and provide links? I never heard the story.

Do you work for PEPCO? Why do you care if people are angry about outage #564788?

OK, but you selectively clipped my post to eliminate the part where I said I'm dubious that replacing the old bureaucracy with a new bureaucracy is going to help, at least after the first few years. If you think replacing PEPCO with MOCEPCO will work, go for it, but don't come crying to me after two years.

The issue is the technology which means a regulated industry probably (well, some caveats) works best. Because a huge investment in plant, lines and equipment is necessary, it's not like a competitor can just waltz in with better service and lower prices.

No one who is incompetent wants to admit that someone else can do the job better but when you fail, you should be replaced. Pepco should not get to claim that since they have made such a mess of the system that there is no other company out there that can clean up their disaster.

BTW- Montgomery County has lots of new developments with underground lines but unlike their Virginia counterparts these new developments are without power too. This is because Pepco has older, faulty equipment up and down the line where any even minimal disruption will knock out power to everyone on the line. Pepco also only trims trees when it is forced to do this or fined for not doing it. If Pepco had proactively cleared above ground paths to denser areas with underground lines, there would be fewer outages, and more crews to get older areas.

The objection to an increase in Pepco rates by many people is not a general objection to increased rates but lack of any credibility on the part of Pepco that rate increases will be invested into improving the service. They are caught year after year diverting maintenance and upkeep funds to profits and marketing. Why should anyone trust that their actions would be different in the future.

The issue is the technology which means a regulated industry probably (well, some caveats) works best. Because a huge investment in plant, lines and equipment is necessary, it's not like a competitor can just waltz in with better service and lower prices. Basically the current technology means that only a monopolist would survive. Think OPEC, but without even the squabbling between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia when they set prices. So regulating this monopoly is what it comes down to.

We could clean out the current PEPCO bureaucracy and replace it with a new bureacracy. Although if you think this will make a huge difference, you're more optimistic than I am. It is what it is. Just keep complaining, I guess.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

ITA

I didn't hear about this.

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.

ITA

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.

Anonymous wrote:According to Pepco we are still without power, it came on yesterday. Simple basic things like that show me the system is broken from top to bottom.

Hey - that's funny. It has said we have power, but we still don't!