Press Release

PUC to Hold an Additional Public Input Hearing in Chester County on February Outages

Published on 3/21/2014

Filed under: Electric

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission today announced it will hold public input hearings on the outages related to the February 2014 ice storm.

The PUC’s Bureau of Technical Utility Services will conduct the hearings as part of its review of the outages resulting from the Feb. 5, 2014, ice storms that affected parts of southeastern Pennsylvania. At the peak, about 968,000 Pennsylvania electric customers lost electricity at some point during the storm with some remaining without power for up to nine days.

The hearing will be held:

7 p.m., Monday, April 7, 2014

Community Room

Penn Township Municipal Building

260 Lewis Road

West Grove, PA 19390

The PUC wants to hear from customers who experienced power outages. The Commission is hoping those participating can address, among other things, the following questions:

• Did your electric utility satisfactorily communicate information about the storm and the service outages through methods such as the utility web site, phone calls, texts, radio, television, print, or social media?
• Did your electric utility satisfactorily provide you with timely and accurate information on the expected restoration time for your service outage?
• Were you able to call in to the electric utility to report your outage without any difficulties?  Were you able to call back and receive information on the expected restoration time for your service outage?
• Do you have any suggestions for how the electric utilities could improve their communications to customers during large-scale service outages?

Members of the public are welcome to attend the hearings and provide comments.  The PUC and Office of Consumer Advocate offer tips on how to participate.  They include:

• Prepare what you are going to say beforehand.  Even though it is not required, you may want to write out your statement, which can be read.
• Plan to be questioned.  Parties in the case may want to ask you a question to clarify something you said.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

For recent news releases and video of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov. Follow the PUC on Twitter – @PA_PUC for all things utility.  “Like” PAPowerSwitch on Facebook for easy access to information on electric shopping.

# # #

Contact:

• David Hixson
  Deputy Press Secretary
  717-772-2766
  dhixson@pa.gov