Post storm venting

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gnappi

gnappi

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When do the power companies get called on the carpet for poor routine maintenance being the cause of power outages?

Before Wilma I had several poles on my block that looked like swayback horses because they were in generally poor condition with splinters and crack / fissures up and down the length of the pole. Add to that hundreds of poles had trees growing all around them.

I called FP&L several times in the years and months before the storm and they either said the poles were on a schedule for replacement or that AT&T owned them.

So, Wilma took down many poles, and what happened? FP&L petitioned the "Public service Commissions" for a "temporary" rate increase to PAY (meaning the customers get to pay for the poles) for replacing poles.

What are the incentives for doing proper maintenance during the year when utilities are rewarded by having a utility boot licking authority in their back pocket to pay for maintenance? None! Year end bonuses, stock dividend payments, and raises in executive compensation all around and yup WE sat in the dark once again.

Unfortunately there will be hearings on those who died in the wake of this last storm, but not one dim little candle of light will shine onto FP&L asking "WHY" the power went out for over 6 MILLION (1/3 of the residents) people.

Pass the executive retention bonuses around folks, I bet WE get stuck for the bill again.
 
I feel your pain. I thought I saw on the news that an investigation was going to happen over this subject due to the deaths of several elderly people due to the heat. Of course I would not hold your breath, utilities companies have deep pockets to cover themselves. Hopefully you do not get a rate hike on this, but we all may since different states are sending down crews to help get it back up. Good luck!
 
Fire1386 said:
I feel your pain. I thought I saw on the news that an investigation was going to happen over this subject due to the deaths of several elderly people due to the heat. Of course I would not hold your breath, utilities companies have deep pockets to cover themselves. Hopefully you do not get a rate hike on this, but we all may since different states are sending down crews to help get it back up. Good luck!
Click to expand...


Yup they will nail the nurses, managers, immigrant maintenance people who are totally untrained and NOT paid for hurricane disaster mitigation. Watch the news, I know I'll be correct.

Hey maybe instead of FP&L execs, they'll get the owners of the institution and make an example of them! :)
 
Hopefully they don't do that. Disasters happen, and will continue to happen. Hopefully they learn from this one, to help with the next time...:)
 
gnappi said:
When do the power companies get called on the carpet for poor routine maintenance being the cause of power outages?

Before Wilma I had several poles on my block that looked like swayback horses because they were in generally poor condition with splinters and crack / fissures up and down the length of the pole. Add to that hundreds of poles had trees growing all around them.

I called FP&L several times in the years and months before the storm and they either said the poles were on a schedule for replacement or that AT&T owned them.

So, Wilma took down many poles, and what happened? FP&L petitioned the "Public service Commissions" for a "temporary" rate increase to PAY (meaning the customers get to pay for the poles) for replacing poles.

What are the incentives for doing proper maintenance during the year when utilities are rewarded by having a utility boot licking authority in their back pocket to pay for maintenance? None! Year end bonuses, stock dividend payments, and raises in executive compensation all around and yup WE sat in the dark once again.

Unfortunately there will be hearings on those who died in the wake of this last storm, but not one dim little candle of light will shine onto FP&L asking "WHY" the power went out for over 6 MILLION (1/3 of the residents) people.

Pass the executive retention bonuses around folks, I bet WE get stuck for the bill again.
Click to expand...
Are they a publicly held company? Become a stock holder and voice your concerns at ownership meetings.
 
Could be living in Puerto Rico, bet they have lots of complaints against their power companies about now. [-o<
 
WiskeyJaR said:
Could be living in Puerto Rico, bet they have lots of complaints against their power companies about now. [-o<
Click to expand...

But, I don't live in PR, or Mexico, or points in South America.

FP&L posts BILLIONS in profits yearly, PREPA (in PR) is a mess from the get go, has been bankrupt for a while and is always operating in an emergency mode.

So FP&L is not and will not be my savior, they deserve nothing but accountability for what has happened here, it's preventable in many cases, and unacceptable for a company as well able to maintain their grid as they are.
 
They can post huge profits because they spend pennies on improvements. It's just good business to spend small and charge big, (buy low-sell high).
We have the same problem up here in Iowa with our utilities. Still use wood 'phone poles for power and phone lines, and they will leave them in service until they're so badly weathered, a guy wonders how they're still standing. There's probably a few transformers around with PCB's in them yet.
You can rant until you're blue, but the utilities are so ingrained into the infrastructure, your elected representatives will not hold them accountable for their indiscretions. There's just too much money at stake in tax income.

I suggest you try to focus on something you can influence, rather than jeopardize your health tilting at windmills.

Just my 2-pence.....Roger
 
GTS225 said:
They can post huge profits because they spend pennies on improvements. It's just good business to spend small and charge big, (buy low-sell high).
We have the same problem up here in Iowa with our utilities. Still use wood 'phone poles for power and phone lines, and they will leave them in service until they're so badly weathered, a guy wonders how they're still standing. There's probably a few transformers around with PCB's in them yet.
You can rant until you're blue, but the utilities are so ingrained into the infrastructure, your elected representatives will not hold them accountable for their indiscretions. There's just too much money at stake in tax income.

I suggest you try to focus on something you can influence, rather than jeopardize your health tilting at windmills.

Just my 2-pence.....Roger
Click to expand...

If you think an honest discussion is ranting I cannot change your mind, but I can only say if your mindset is one of silence, you deserve whatever is served on you from mega corporations.

As far as the windmill analogy goes, I don't agree, when the population does nothing, we're reduced to the same status as cattle. Tonight I read of several lawsuits being brought on FP&L for negligence. If that can be proven in a court of law (and the litigants do not buckle under a payoff) then things change.

Doing nothing is a guarantee to get nothing.
 
Well, this is your thread, and you did title it "post storm venting", and there's hardly any difference between venting and ranting, but that's splitting hairs. I was just voicing my opinion.

I will say this; If those lawsuits you heard about are civil lawsuits, then by all means, jump on in there. Just find the litigating attorney(s) and ask to be added to the list of litigants. If the charges can be made to stick, then more power to you. If you (all) win, then it does set a precedent for the rest of us.

Good luck.....Roger
 
GTS225 said:
If you (all) win, then it does set a precedent for the rest of us.

Good luck.....Roger
Click to expand...

Negligence is hardly precedent setting, perhaps for power companies it may be but we'll see. As I read it, the core of the suit(s) is deliberate lack of maintenance of wood poles. I hope they get spanked, if not certainly I hope they do not once again get rewarded by the PSC and are allowed to bill the customers on their grid for upgrades and repairs like we got billed for after Wilma.
 
gnappi said:
GTS225 said:
If you (all) win, then it does set a precedent for the rest of us.

Good luck.....Roger
Click to expand...

Negligence is hardly precedent setting, perhaps for power companies it may be but we'll see. As I read it, the core of the suit(s) is deliberate lack of maintenance of wood poles. I hope they get spanked, if not certainly I hope they do not once again get rewarded by the PSC and are allowed to bill the customers on their grid for upgrades and repairs like we got billed for after Wilma.
Click to expand...

Even worse if they were allowed to bill customers to pay off a lawsuit. Only ones who benefit in that case are the lawyers.
 
gnappi said:
When do the power companies get called on the carpet for poor routine maintenance being the cause of power outages?

Before Wilma I had several poles on my block that looked like swayback horses because they were in generally poor condition with splinters and crack / fissures up and down the length of the pole. Add to that hundreds of poles had trees growing all around them.

I called FP&L several times in the years and months before the storm and they either said the poles were on a schedule for replacement or that AT&T owned them.

So, Wilma took down many poles, and what happened? FP&L petitioned the "Public service Commissions" for a "temporary" rate increase to PAY (meaning the customers get to pay for the poles) for replacing poles.

What are the incentives for doing proper maintenance during the year when utilities are rewarded by having a utility boot licking authority in their back pocket to pay for maintenance? None! Year end bonuses, stock dividend payments, and raises in executive compensation all around and yup WE sat in the dark once again.

Unfortunately there will be hearings on those who died in the wake of this last storm, but not one dim little candle of light will shine onto FP&L asking "WHY" the power went out for over 6 MILLION (1/3 of the residents) people.

Pass the executive retention bonuses around folks, I bet WE get stuck for the bill again.
Click to expand...

You never replied to my question about the power company being public or private, so I will ask another. Have you ever owned a business? If so you'll have a better understanding of getting things done and priorities, if not you may not understand. Do you own your own home? Does everything get fixed ASAP or do you put some fixes on the back burner until a better time or when funds are available?
 
Crazyboat said:
You never replied to my question about the power company being public or private, so I will ask another. Have you ever owned a business? If so you'll have a better understanding of getting things done and priorities, if not you may not understand. Do you own your own home? Does everything get fixed ASAP or do you put some fixes on the back burner until a better time or when funds are available?
Click to expand...

I don't know why you want a fight, but some like you do, all the time.

I'm pretty sure a private company does not ask a PSC for permission to raise rates, or ask for customers to pay for storm damage, or PAY DIVIDENDS, so you HAVE your answer no?

At any rate, I've owned a business, and when "I" don't fix something TODAY nobody is hurt. FP&L has been taking advantage of their monopoly and deliberately neglecting maintenance.

If YOU READ my original post you would see:

"I called FP&L several times in the years and months before the storm and they either said the poles were on a schedule for replacement or that AT&T owned them"

Years (something like 15 IIRC I was complaining about crooked rotten poles) is not waiting till their billions of profits can triple their dividends.

Listen up I have no use for you.
 

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