After a class-action lawsuit was filed against the Electric Power Board for installing fiber infrastructure "without acquiring the proper easements from Hamilton County residents" this morning, Greg Eaves, Sr. Vice-President of Finance and CFO at EPB released the following statement:
"We are confident that this project meets all legal requirements and specifications. We are upgrading our electric system by building a fiber optic Smart Grid. The purpose of the fiber optic Smart Grid is to modernize the electric system for the benefit of all customers. By adding some additional electronics, we can provide superior high speed internet, video and phone to customers who choose to purchase them, but the primary purpose of building this infrastructure has always been and continues to be for the benefit of our electric customers. We continue to be confident that this project complies with all requirements of the law."
The Chattanoogan lists the plaintiffs as David Matthews and Tommy Baker. The suit was filed by attorneys John Cavett and Barry Abbott, and asks for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from EPB, EPB Telecom, and the City of Chattanooga.
David Morton
Rial S. on Jan. 27, 2009
All the antagonists of this project still have yet to grasp the INTENT of it. The Smart Grid will assist in lowering the power use of the city, saving everyone money.
They're just upset about the lack of being able to compete with the secondary and tertiary abilities of a fiber-optic connection to the home, and they NEVER will be able to, at least until they upgrade THEIR infrastructure.
See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gu5vis8y3I
Jacob on Jan. 27, 2009
I have a feeling this lawsuit is Comcastic.
Stephen42 on Jan. 28, 2009
Jacob, I find myself agreeing with you on that insight.
Todd on Jan. 28, 2009
So what possibly could this guy have against a free market with competition? Most likely a pay check from Comcast.
Heath on Jan. 28, 2009
Oh no!!! There's a fiber optic cable blocking my view of the beautiful power line running across my property.
mwillingham on Jan. 28, 2009
Hey Todd,
EPB is a government owned utility. It has nothing to do with the free market.
Randy on May 8, 2009
Aren't you people the one's that also complain about the evil, greedy oil and utility companies profiteering on the backs of the peasants? The smart grid technology can be run over a single fiber optic strand, the remaining 287 strands in these cables are leased out to telcos, private corps via IRUs and such at incredible margins. How about sharing these revenues with the landowners over which these cables illegally lie. I've seen the power companies tell this lie many times over the past 20 years all around the country. Yes, there is a small, smart grid benefit to the public, but the real, underlying benefit is hidden from, and never shared with the public.