DiNatale to DPU: Set Our People Free (01/28/09)
Posted 2009-01-29 18:40:38
Angry ratepayers blast Unitil
Crowd asking state DPU to take action
FALLOUT FROM DEC. 11-12 ICE STORM
By Matthew Bruun TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
FITCHBURG — Enraged Unitil customers and frustrated local officials last night asked the state Department of Public Utilities to pull the plug on the electric company.
“I have been raped by this company,” said Elizabeth Brunell of Hollywood Street. “It’s time for you to do something.”
Hundreds of fuming ratepayers packed the auditorium at Memorial Middle School for the state regulator’s first public hearing into the company’s response to the Dec. 11-12 ice storm. They decried the lack of maintenance to the electrical infrastructure, the failure to trim trees and their ever-increasing bills.
State Rep. Stephen L. DiNatale, D-Fitchburg, said Unitil’s performance was unacceptable.
“You folks must bring the regulatory hammer down on this company,” he said to thunderous applause.
Another hearing on Unitil’s response is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday at Lunenburg High School, and the state board will be holding hearings in other communities as it evaluates the performance of all of the investor-owned utilities regarding the storm.
Attorney General Martha Coakley, the night’s first speaker, said she wanted to know why it took Unitil almost two weeks to restore power to its customers in Massachusetts, and called for an exhaustive inquiry that would look at the company’s system maintenance, communications and emergency planning.
“We do want to understand what went wrong,” she said.
Mayor Lisa A. Wong received an ovation from the excited crowd when she referred to news clippings about the inquiry into a widespread power outage in 1997.
“You could change the date and it is the same story,” she said. “I do not want to be standing in this position in 2021.”
She said there have to be consequences when companies fail to deliver services.
“I can tell you now, I am so angry,” Ms. Wong said.
She asked the DPU officials to make sure their own standards have teeth. “If standards are being met, why was this community put through what it was put through?”
Mr. DiNatale, a longtime Unitil critic, said there were many deficiencies in the company’s response to the storm. He implored the state not to let the company pass along the costs of the storm to its customers in a rate increase. Company officials have pegged the cost of the storm at $10 million and said it would likely be a factor in its next rate proposal to the DPU.
“You must set our people free,” Mr. DiNatale said.
He suggested the New Hampshire-based utility change its slogan from “We deliver. It’s that simple,” to: “We didn’t and can’t deliver.”
State Sen. Jennifer L. Flanagan, D-Leominster, said Unitil did a terrible job communicating with public safety officials in the immediate aftermath of the storm, while several members of the Fitchburg City Council said the company’s mailing of estimated bills for the month of the outage only added fuel to the public outrage.
There also were barbs directed at the DPU, which has oversight on rates.
“Shame on you for allowing Unitil’s rates to go up as high as they have,” Councilor Norman L. Boisvert said.
Most of the anger, however, was directed at Unitil. Council President Stephan Hay received a standing ovation when he asked the DPU officials to remove Unitil as the service provider.
“To quote a few people I’ve spoken with, ‘Throw the bums out,’ ” Mr. Boisvert said later.
“What this company has done to Fitchburg has raped us,” said Councilor Annie K. DeMartino, who also asked the board to cease being a “rubber stamp” for rate increases.
Nearly 200 private citizens had signed up to give testimony to the DPU. Its formal inquiry will last into the spring and include cross-examination of utility officials. Customers shared stories of long outages and the inability to get information on when service would be restored.
Michael Bursch said his 91-year-old grandmother refused to evacuate her house during the outage because she didn’t want to let Unitil beat her.
“Take their license to operate in Massachusetts away and say goodbye,” Mr. Bursch said to cheers from the audience.
Unitil Senior Vice President George R. Gantz was in the audience last night, along with two lawyers for the company.
“Unitil remains publicly committed to cooperating in all reviews and assessments intended to assure that all utilities in the region are able to produce better results during severe winter storms, and Unitil is participating fully in the ongoing investigation by the Department of Public Utilities,” according to a statement issued by the utility. “The company’s role in this evening’s proceedings is first and foremost to listen.”
The destruction to the region’s electrical infrastructure caused by the ice storm was unprecedented, according to the company, and officials said they understand the public frustration.
“We are committed to improving the quality of service we provide and have enacted a series of new measures, in place during the ice storm of January 6-8, to better deal with future severe storms, including quicker mobilization of emergency response crews, increased call center capabilities, and a new Emergency Information Center for improved communication with communities affected by a severe storm,” the company statement continued.
Unitil also has asked former DPU Chairman Robert Yardley to review its performance and develop lessons learned that can be applied to future storms.
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