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Mikulski Seeks Stronger Power Reliability Regulations

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski is calling for stronger state power reliability standards.

Mikulski says she will appear before Maryland's Public Service Commission Thursday to urge swift adoption of regulations to put stronger standards into place. The Baltimore Democrat says frequent power outages for Pepco customers are a serious safety issue that must be addressed immediately.

Mikulski says she has also sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asking it to address reliability concerns during its April audit of Pepco. The senator says she has asked the chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to investigate the feasibility of adopting federal standards for local power transmission.

A report released earlier this month by independent consultants was critical of a Pepco plan to reduce outages.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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