Kucinich says blackout a symptom of problems caused by deregulation
Originally published in the Detroit News
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Kucinich says blackout a symptom of problems caused by deregulation
By David Runk / Associated Press
DETROIT -- Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich is stressing the importance of nonprofit, publicly owned electric utilities in the United States and Canada ensuring affordable and reliable energy.
The Ohio congressman told supporters gathered along the Detroit River Wednesday that the worst blackout in U.S. history can be linked to energy deregulation.
"The blackout that occurred a couple weeks ago is a symptom of a system that is sick through deregulation -- a system where private control of utilities has meant less service, service vulnerabilities, high rates," he said on the second of a two-day campaign swing through Michigan.
Kucinich was joined by Howard Hampton, the leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party and a candidate for that province's premier. They said cooperation is needed between the countries to protect energy consumers, but Kucinich criticized the Bush administration's efforts to investigate the cause of the blackout as not thorough enough.
A U.S.-Canadian task force to investigate the Aug. 14 blackout is taking shape, with key experts coming from across the two countries -- but not from some of the companies and power managers associated with the power failure.
The task force doesn't include employees of FirstEnergy Corp., the utility at the center of the investigation. Nor have organizers requested investigators from International Transmission Co., owner of Michigan power lines that failed in the blackout.
Kucinich, a longtime critic of Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy, earlier this month called for Ohio regulators to revoke FirstEnergy's operating license. FirstEnergy has called Kucinich's request speculative and irresponsible.
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