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Washington—Oct. 23, 2018 –Utilities Technology Council President and CEO Joy Ditto issued the following statement in response today’s decision by the Federal Communications Commission’s to proceed on a rulemaking to expand the use of the 6 GHz spectrum band: “Many of our nation’s electric, gas and water utilities rely on the 6 GHz spectrum band to underpin the reliable delivery of energy and water services to homes and businesses all over the country. Utilities use the 6 GHz band for their communications networks that support day-to-day, routine reliability, emergency response, storm restoration, and, increasingly for electric utilities, new technologies such as smart meters and integration of distributed energy resources. The 6 GHz band provides utilities and other critical infrastructure industries (CII) with the high-speed, long…
The electric utility industry has the technologies and processes in place to restore power back to the grid after a widespread outage, though certain federal policies could threaten the industry’s ability to communicate during such an event, UTC President and CEO Joy Ditto told Congress. In testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (SENR) Committee, Ms. Ditto said a better understanding of the growing interdependencies between the electricity and telecommunications industries would help smooth out these problematic policies. The SENR Committee, she said, could take a lead role in encouraging federal agencies to communicate more often, which might result in better policies for both sectors. Ms. Ditto delivered her remarks during the Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s Oct. 11 hearing on blackstart, the process…
Washington—Oct. 1, 2018 – Utilities Technology Council President and CEO Joy Ditto issued the following statement in recognition of October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month: “On behalf of the Utilities Technology Council, I wish to acknowledge our support for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Our nation’s electric, water, and gas utilities take the issue of cybersecurity extremely seriously. Indeed, the electric utility industry remains the only industry subject to mandatory cybersecurity standards enforced by the federal government. “Nearly all electric, water, and natural gas utilities operate and maintain their own Information and Communications Technology (ICT) networks. These networks underpin the reliable operation of our nation’s electric, gas, and water infrastructure. As demonstrated by the several annual testing and scenario-training exercises, energy and water utilities are constantly…
Washington—Sept. 26, 2018 – Utilities Technology Council President and CEO Joy Ditto issued the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission established a new rule lowering the costs and restricting the time municipalities—including public-power utilities—have to review small-cellular device siting applications: “We are still reviewing today’s action by the Federal Communications Commission. At first blush, we are troubled by the Commission’s decision to threaten to preempt local authorities who are best suited to review applications to site small-wireless facilities. The utility industry understands the need for regulatory certainty when it comes to infrastructure projects. Planning system upgrades, replacements, and new infrastructure takes time and money, so a deliberate review is essential to the process. Such review gives the public confidence that any new infrastructure is…
Washington—Sept. 14, 2018 – Utilities Technology Council President and CEO Joy Ditto issued the following statement as Hurricane Florence impacts the North and South Carolina coasts: “On behalf of the Utilities Technology Council, I send my thoughts and prayers to those impacted by Hurricane Florence. This is a dangerous storm, with long-lasting torrential wind and rain wreaking havoc on the region’s infrastructure. I also send my sincere thanks and commendations to the tens of thousands of utility workers who are mobilized and ready to restore electricity service as soon as it is safe to do so. “As always, I am in awe of how our industry responds to these events. Our utilities may be incredibly diverse in ownership, business model, and service territory, but we…
Utilities Technology Council President and CEO Joy Ditto issued the following statement congratulating Geoffrey Starks on his nomination to the Federal Communications Commission: “On behalf of the Utilities Technology Council, I send our congratulations to Geoffrey Starks upon his nomination to the Federal Communications Commission. Through his current work at the agency in the Enforcement Bureau and his service at the Department of Justice, Mr. Starks clearly has the resume for the job. If confirmed, he would be joining the agency at an exciting and important time. “The energy and telecommunications industries are becoming more interdependent, particularly as utilities build upon their private Information and Communications Technology (ICT) networks to modernize and bolster the resilience of their infrastructure, and respond to shifting customer expectations. Interference-free…