Social Media in Regulated Utilities

It’s time for another quick round up of social media sightings in state utility commission decisions. For those unfamiliar with the round ups , I search terms like “social media,” Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter in my LEXIS public utility commission data base to see how many times they’ve been mentioned. Since I started tracking back [...]

{ 0 comments }

It’s been a while since my last  round up on social media sightings in state utility commission decisions.  Here’s the next batch, between May and November 2012. Social media sites as a source of securities law violations In Mountain State Power , 2012 Ariz. PUC LEXIS 197, the Arizona Commission found that wind company had [...]

{ 0 comments }

Source: Uploaded by user via Carolyn on Pinterest Social media policies are important – but they’re not the only source of guidance that utilities need to follow when engaging social media.  In addition to abiding by social media policies, utilities need to familiarize themselves with the platform’s terms of service, which are often laws unto [...]

{ 0 comments }

After ten days without power, Con-Ed’s customers have had enough.  So they’ve done what any cold-blooded ratepayer (and with temperatures hovering in the 40s, these ratepayers are literally cold) in a similar situation would do:  sued the company .  What’s interesting about the complaint though is that in addition to claiming damages resulting from ConEd’s [...]

{ 0 comments }

Social media may cost less than traditional advertising but even so, social media done right doesn’t come cheap. As I’ve written before, an increasing number of utilities are investing in social media for a  variety  of functions, presumably anticipating that they’ll recover the costs in rates. But not every cent spent by utilities on social [...]

{ 0 comments }

Traditionally, publication in the Federal Register  is deemed constructive notice to the public of a federal agency action or regulatory filing.  Though this precedent has been on the books almost as long as  the Federal Register itself, it’s also pure legal fiction that irks me to no end.  Really, is it reasonable to assume that [...]

{ 0 comments }

Utilities and other players in the energy industry continue to use social media in a variety of ways.  Here’s a list of the latest sightings of social media usage in the energy and utilities industry:  Competitive electric business  Maine’s competitive retail electricity markets are attracting electricity suppliers from the gas and oil business, such as [...]

{ 0 comments }

Turns out the “just and reasonable” standard isn’t just for utility rates and contracts anymore, but for dealings with consumers. In a recent Order directing PG&E to show cause why it should not be subject to penalties for its former director’s underhanded infiltration of an anti-smart grid online forum, the California Commission gave new meaning [...]

{ 0 comments }

Slowly but surely, social media continues to make an appearance in state commission decisions. Since I issued my first summary of social media sitings back in January 2012, a few others have emerged. Here’s a quick update. Company found jurisdictional through Facebook Many times companies, either by ignorance or design, fail to obtain necessary authorization [...]

{ 0 comments }