Month: January 2010
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PSC Creates New Office of Consumer Policy
Effective earlier this month, the New York State Public Service Commission (“PSC”) created the Office of Consumer Policy and named Douglas Elfner to be its Acting Director. According to the […] -
Auburn N.Y. Municipal Water User Opposes City’s Motion to End Litigation Over Constitutionality of Termination and Denial Practices
In October 2008 a tenant user of municipal water utility service provided by the City of Auburn, N.Y. commenced a lawsuit in U.S. District Court challenging constitutionality of the City’s […] -
NYSERDA Proposes to Revise Allocation of $301.6 Million RGGI Proceeds
NYSERDA is proposing to revise its plans for spending $301.6 million of the projected $446.4 million proceeds from the sale of greenhouse gas allowances the RGGI program through the period […] -
FCC: Verizon Service Quality Worse than Other Regional Bells
In a report released by the FCC at the end of December 2009 entitled “Quality of Service of Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers,” Verizon ranked poorly across all of its territories. […] -
Two New York Groups Receive Stimulus Funding for Broadband Projects; PULP Awaits the Fate of its Proposal
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 , the federal government allocated $7.2 billion to the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA“), and […] -
Court Seeks Comment on Proposal to Use Con Ed Customer Money and RGGI Funds to Settle Lawsuit Claiming RGGI "Cap and Trade" Scheme is Illegal
BackgroundAs we previously reported, the RGGI “cap and trade” program run by New York State agencies without enabling legislation was challenged in court by a power generator with a fixed […] -
Vulnerability of "Smart Meters" to Malicious Computer Hacking
In the movie “Utilities,” a Canadian comedy, the utility’s mainframe computer is rejiggered to generate refunds instead of bills by a social worker enraged by the utility’s harsh treatment of […] -
Cable VoIP Phone Providers to Start Collecting E-911 Surcharge
Historically, Public Service Answering Points (“PSAPs”), the dispatch centers which receive emergency telephone calls when 9-1-1 is dialed, have been supported by the local landline telephone companies through a surcharge […] -
Importance of Continued, Affordable Energy Underscored by Detroit Fire Deaths After Utility Shutoff
Yesterday the AP reported that three persons died in Detroit Michigan in a fire in a home where utility service had been shut off. See 3 die in fire at […]