Maryland's reliability standards become law
The measure will require the Maryland Public Service Commission to adopt enhanced reliability standards by July 2012. The bill also will allow the PSC to fine utilities for poor performance. Fines would be directed back to affected ratepayers.
Pepco, a utility that serves customers in Washington, and Prince George's and Montgomery counties, has been widely criticized for long delays restoring power to thousands of customers.
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Opinion: The dilemma over electricity rates and innovation
TORONTO - For more than 100 years, Canadian electricity companies had a very simple mandate: provide reliable, safe power to all. Keep the lights on, as some would say. And they did just that.
Today, however, they are expected to also provide a broad range of energy services through a data-driven, customer-centric system operations platform that can manage, among other things, responsive loads, electric vehicles, storage devices and solar generation. All the while meeting environmental and social sustainability — and delivering on affordability.
Not an easy task.
That’s why this new mandate requires an ironclad commitment to innovation excellence. Not simply replacing “like…
