CSX Train Derailments & PEPCO's Direct Mail Propaganda // Will Infrastructure Spending Ever Become a Policy Priority?

Pepco's electricity customers in the DC Metro region have been receiving direct mail letters defending the company's response to recent power outages. You may have received the lame letter below over the last few weeks, but note that it doesn't really talk about long-term solutions to Maryland's terrible electrical infrastructure. See the piece below.

PEPCO Robocalls Irene Alert // O'Malley Evacuates Ocean City & Wicomico

UPDATE: Pepco's social networking rep Andre, tweeted this response to our blog post (excerpt): "I’ll start by saying that we’re not trying to build up anxiety.... To summarize it, we just wanted to reiterate to our customers that the storm is nearing our service territory and the impact may result in outages for some customers." This sounds an awful lot like Montgomery County's strategy for preventing flash mobs!

Ahead of Hurricane Irene, Pepco has decided to robocall residents telling them to expect power outages:

[ Listen to Pepco's Robocall ]

I am guessing that means:

a) We'll be facing the same miserable power outages that occur anytime the wind blows in MD,

b) Pepco is responding to what the Washington Post recently described as their "lackadaisical approach to customer communication"

Call me cynical, but I suspect this will not ease residents' pending complaints about what will likely be an inadequate response to Irene-related power outages.

Meanwhile, Governor O'Malley is calling for an evacuation of parts of the Eastern Shore: