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WASHINGTON–Utilities Technology Council President and CEO Joy Ditto issued the following statement in support of President Trump’s nomination of Kenneth Johnson to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service: “Kenneth Johnson is an outstanding person to lead the Rural Utilities Service. His background is perfectly suited for this position, as he understands the needs of utilities in rural America. As CEO of Co-Mo Electric Cooperative, he led the utility’s deployment of a fiber-to-the-home broadband network in rural Missouri that provides robust, affordable and reliable broadband services to 15,000 homes and businesses. Mr. Johnson has extensive roots in rural America, serving at both consumer- and publicly owned utilities in the Midwest. On behalf of UTC and our members, I congratulate Mr. Johnson and look…
WASHINGTON–Utilities Technology Council President and CEO Joy Ditto issued the following statement applauding the Federal Communications Commission’s approval of procedures for the Connect America Fund Phase II auction: “The Federal Communications Commission took a significant step today in expanding broadband into unserved and underserved communities. While we are still analyzing this morning’s action, we applaud the FCC for moving forward on this important matter. Electric utilities are key facilitators of broadband services. Several UTC member electric utilities are providing broadband to their constituents and beyond in areas that are not well served, if served at all, by private telecommunications providers. The upcoming Connect America Fund II auction could support electric utility access to this funding and go a long way in expanding broadband throughout the…
WASHINGTON– A federal court gave the Federal Communications Commission too much deference by upholding an order on pole attachments that exceeds the agency’s authority and harms electric utility consumers, the Utilities Technology Council said. In a friend of the court brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, UTC said the Commission’s decision to adopt so-called “cost allocators” for pole attachments subsidizes telecommunications service providers by preventing utilities from recovering the cost of pole attachments, as provided under Section 224(e) of the Communications Act of 1934. Although the FCC claims this policy will expand broadband throughout the country, in practice this has not been the case. “[T]his policy rationale is not supported by the record or in practice; and in any event, detrimentally impacts utilities and electric ratepayers…,” UTC…
WASHINGTON—Utilities Technology Council President and CEO Joy Ditto issue the following statement in response to a report on “Digitizing the Grid: Next Steps on Policy” by the Bipartisan Policy Center: “Although we are still analyzing the conclusions in the report, we applaud the Bipartisan Policy Center for highlighting utilities’ need for spectrum access. Spectrum is a critical component of our nation’s digital future, yet it is also vitally important now to manage the reliability of our electricity grid. UTC appreciates the report’s recommendations on spectrum and joins in its call for increased coordination between the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Although these agencies have distinct missions, the energy and telecommunications sectors are converging rapidly due to grid modernization. These interdependencies will…
WASHINGTON – Utilities Technology Council President and CEO Joy Ditto issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of David Redl to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration: “Congratulations to David Redl upon his confirmation to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Energy and water utilities across the country require spectrum to deliver their critical services reliably and safely. On behalf of the Utilities Technology Council and our members, I look forward to working with Administrator Redl on issues related to spectrum sharing and broadband expansion.”
WASHINGTON –Utilities Technology Council President and CEO Joy Ditto issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed the nominations of Kevin McIntyre and Richard Glick to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: “I would like to offer my congratulations to Kevin McIntyre and Richard Glick for their confirmations to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). As they know, ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of energy is the agency’s first and foremost responsibility. On behalf of the Utilities Technology Council, I look forward to working with incoming Commissioners McIntyre and Glick, along with Commissioners LaFleur, Powelson, and Chatterjee, on issues related to cybersecurity, reliability, and the need for strong and resilient utility communications networks.”