The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy recommended...
The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy recommended a legislative proposal to reduce double utility poles (CD April 13 p7). The proposal is the end product of a dozen bills in the state that, in various ways, attempt…
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to encourage utilities to remove double poles in a timely fashion. The proposal would require the state Department of Public Utilities and the Department of Telecom and Cable to issue new rules to reduce double poles. It would also require the governor to set up an 11-member advisory council on double poles, led by state regulators and including representatives from utilities, the attorney general and two local governments. The council would study ways to speed up pole removal and make recommendations to state regulators by the end of this year. However, the proposal, pending House and Senate approvals, didn’t clearly define municipalities’ authority to fine utilities that don’t remove double poles within 90 days, said Massachusetts Municipal Association Executive Director Geoff Beckwith. The group will work with legislators to ensure municipalities are authorized to issue fines, he said.