Blackout Focal Point (ABC Barf Alert)

ABC news ^ | 8/18/2003 | Brian Ross

[sjersey]

Investigators say it will be weeks before they know for sure what caused last week's massive power failure, but their principal focus is on the actions of one Ohio power company where the blackout seems to have started. Akron-based FirstEnergy, the largest utility in the country, has a long record of troubling safety, operational and financial problems, an ABCNEWS investigation has found.

Unionized employees complain the company cut back on workers who maintain its transmission lines. In addition, its Ohio nuclear plant was shut down by federal regulators last year because of safety violations, including a football-sized hole in the top of the reactor vessel.

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a Democratic presidential candidate and former mayor of Cleveland, filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to revoke FirstEnergy's operating license for the power plant after the hole in the vessel was found. He said the company has a long history of mismanagement.

"Serious questions have to be raised about FirstEnergy's ability to effectively serve the residents of Northeast Ohio," Kucinich said in a written statement.

The utility has other critics.

"The mentality of the FirstEnergy senior management [is that] they place a higher regard for profit and power production than the safety of the public," said consumer lawyer Howard Whitcomb, a former FirstEnergy senior manager and a longtime of critic of the utility.

"It's going to skimp on expenses to make profitability look better than it really is," said lawyer Mel Weiss, who represents shareholders suing the company for allegedly deceiving the public by "cooking the books" to impress Wall Street. "And that, of course, ultimately hurts the consumer and in this case, maybe 50 million people."

FirstEnergy officials said it is unfair to blame them alone and that it is a "very complex situation far broader" than just the outages in Ohio, involving "unusual electrical conditions."

The blackout that began Thursday afternoon affected 50 million people, making it the largest in U.S. history. It crippled parts of the Northeast, Midwest and Canada.

Millions Spent on Political Connections

Consumer groups say FirstEnergy has been able to avoid tight scrutiny because it has spent millions of dollars on lobbyists and campaign contributions.

In 2002, FirstEnergy gave $1,044,807 to political parties — 70 percent to Republicans and 29 percent to Democrats — the 10th-largest amount contributed by an energy and natural resources company and the sixth-largest amount contributed by an electric utility, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. FirstEnergy spent another $2,259,975 on lobbying in 2002

In June, the CEO of FirstEnergy, Peter Burg, hosted a fund-raiser for Vice President Dick Cheney that raised $600,000 for President Bush's re-election campaign.

And when he first prepared to move into the White House, Bush appointed the president of FirstEnergy, Anthony Alexander, to serve on the administration's energy transition team.

"That kind of connection buys you access," said Tyson Slocum, research director of Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Program. "And they've had an enormous amount of access in Washington, D.C., and as a result there hasn't been enough scrutiny of the company's investments and business operations."

White House press secretary Scott McClellan told ABCNEWS there would be a thorough investigation into the blackout's cause. "We will investigate fully what happened and follow the leads wherever they go, even if they are big contributors," he said.

[Shermy]

Whaddiditellya?

FirstEnergy could be the crookedest cheaters in industry, but that doesn't explain why the troubles spread so far.

[SteamShovel]

Well, I wouldn't necessarily trust all of this article, First Energy is NOT the largest utility. And that's not too hard to find out before reporting.

[sjersey]

In the latest version of the article they added ---

In June, the CEO of FirstEnergy, Peter Burg, hosted a fund-raiser for Vice President Dick Cheney that raised $600,000 for President Bush's re-election campaign.

And when he first prepared to move into the White House, Bush appointed the president of FirstEnergy, Anthony Alexander, to serve on the administration's energy transition team.

"That kind of connection buys you access," said Tyson Slocum, research director of Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Program. "And they've had an enormous amount of access in Washington, D.C., and as a result there hasn't been enough scrutiny of the company's investments and business operations."

[Cold Heat]

First is not a big player.

What painted the bullseye on them was the failed lines and a computer warning screen that failed to initialize for some reason.(there was a backup BTW)

Looks too me like they may be at the epicenter or near it, but it by no means suggests they did anything wrong.

It is not just ABC, but FOX and all of them have been beating the war drums on First Energy.

[Sender]

ABC news has determined that the blackout was caused by the richest 1 percent contributing to Bush/Cheney/pubs in an attempt to avoid paying their fair share by duplicating every electric outlet in America so that the working people can plug in their hair dryers and big screen TVs with reckless abandon at taxpayer expense. /barf

[meyer]

What painted the bullseye on them was the failed lines and a computer warning screen that failed to initialize for some reason.

Actually, a computer warning screen that the utility claims failed. There's lots of information that will come out in the wash. None of it is political, of course, but that won't stop the leftists from claiming that it is true. Such is the nature of the left.

[eggman]

ABC does its best to create a political scandal where there is none. Throw some statements out about big donations and ties to the Bush administration. Just like Enron, the accusations will disappear as soon as some big money is traced back to a few Dem Sinators and CongressCritters.

FirstEnergy may have made the first mistake but the end result of the investigation will reveal a series of procedural errors and minor failures originating in several companies systems that caused the shutdown.

[Cold Heat]

Yes, Bush is not a utility owner nor does he even understand it, yet the left will gleefully tie oil in Alaska to a small midwest utility, figure out a utility connection to the white house and claim a dubious plot to overthrow rational thinking peple.

Tinfoil crap! .

I despise them.

[Paladin2]

I'm afraid you're right!

[Swiss]

First Energy if it did cause the blackout should not be made a bad guy by the left.

This Blackout was an Environmental Wet Dream, for 48 hours millions of people was green friendly. No dang light pollution, several nasty polluting Oil Refineries stopped distroying mother earth. Auto Plants in Detriot stopped making Bad SUV's. Since Meat and Dairy went bad that meant that a more Vegan diet became widespread. People stopped polluting and being selfish and got along with out air conditioning and by walking everywhere. They became one with the homeless by sleeping on the sidewalks as well. The energy savings and environmental conservation puts any earth day to shame.

This is everything the left wanted yet they seem not to want to take any credit for it.

[CFC__VRWC]

Paul Krugman ought to be able to milk this one for at least three month's worth of hysterical screeds begging for federal takeover of every industry.

[You Dirty Rats]

Kucinich and CEI (one of the forerunners of FirstEnergy, I think) go WAY back. Dennis quoted Jesus and Moses during the great debate with George Forbes on the sale of Muny Light. The horrible thing was, he actually convinced enough people he was right.

[Socratic]

"... its Ohio nuclear plant was shut down by federal regulators last year because of safety violations, including a football-sized hole in the top of the reactor vessel."

Since I live only 20 miles from the Davis-Bessie nuclear power plant, I know this to be a lie. The reactor was shut down for routine maintenance last year and in the course of the inspection, the hole caused by boric acid damage was discovered. This is just another example of slanted coverage by the mainstream media.

[Cold Heat]

Watching the crap on Nightline right now.

They implicated Bush, Cheney and republicans in general for taking money from First Energy. They only mentioned donations made since Bush got the Whitehouse. Wonder why?

As if I did not know.

I do not know how they can do this with a straight face. I guess we need to find out how much they gave to the rats and to whom. I hate to defend a power co. I am not even familiar with, but this public hanging and political trash from ABC has got to stop.

The trash was all in the lead in to the story. The converation and data from the guests was more rational and not political except to be critical of congress for not acting on the problem. (I did not hear them mention the lack of a energy bill however)

The only reason I keep ABC on my TV's is because of a occasional movie or show. (very rare) Rat stations like CNN, BET, MSNBC, MTV and others have been blocked.

[Fawnn]

"That kind of connection buys you access," said Tyson Slocum,...

Ironic: I seem to recall another Tyson who certainly did know how to buy access!

[KalDot]

I am ecstatic to know the CEO at the company I work at raised money for Pres Bush. It is comforting to know that he supports the integrity and grown-ups in THIS Whitehouse and my confidence in our leadership at FirstEnergy is even more so now, knowing that the decisions being made regarding our company and the industry will be made with the same high regard!
God Bless Mr. Berg, Pres. Bush and God Bless America!