A great deal of federal money, not to mention state and local funding, has gone into the National Capital Region since 9/11.  In the four days since the powerful surprise thunderstorm last Friday night, local citizens and reporters are wondering why recovery is so slow. Among the major concerns are the capabilities of local electric utilities and why the 911 system failed.

In the Washington Post, on July 3, an article questioned the preparedness of the local power companies. And it raised questions about utility regulation and appropriate requirements for putting more power lines underground.  And a Washington Post editorial on July 3 asks more hard questions.

On July 4, the Washington Post published an article saying that regulators in both MD and the District of Columbia accepted some of the blame for not effectively doing their job of overseeing the utility companies.  I find that candor  refreshing!  Regardless of who is to blame, a lot of people are working hard to correct the situation. Even the local CERT chapters are helping out.

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