Coalition for Reliable Power

The Coalition for Reliable Power web domain was created on August 30, 2007 and registered to Hall, K., P.O. Box 2464, Charleston, WV 25239, phone 304-565-7541, according to a whois search. A google search for this phone number brings up a residential listing for a Kevin Hall in Left Hand, WV. Google search for Kevin Hall in Left Hand, WV, brings up the following news article. Kevin Hall is WAS Senior Vice-President of Charles Ryan Associates, a marketing/PR firm in Charleston, WV, and works worked with energy clients on "interactive" internet campaigns. Ooops! Seems like Kevin was another casualty of Allegheny Energy's & American Electric Power's misguided astroturf attempt and is no longer an employee of Charles Ryan Associates. I would have "restructured" him, too. Finally, something the power companies and I agree on! Sorry, Kevin, but you really did make uncovering this a complete no-brainer. Apparently your fancy degrees didn't include any mandatory courses in common sense. Charles Ryan Associates' business address is P.O. Box 2464, Charleston, WV 25239. Coalition for Reliable Power is not a registered corporation in the state of West Virginia and does not to appear to legally exist anywhere except on the internet. PATH, Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power appear to be clients of Charles Ryan Associates as of December, 2008.

The Coalition for Reliable Power used to host state-specific subdomains with content for the Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland coalitions prior to their individual registrations in March and May of 2009. It appears that the Coalition for Reliable Power was originally created during the TrAIL powerline project and was revamped in the spring of 2009. Someone got a little sloppy and left the old webdomain online here. Have fun browsing what was relevant three years ago. See that little box over on the right hand side of the page that starts out "Sign up for Updates"? Click on the words "email the coalition" right underneath the phone number. This should take you to another page to email the coalition. When you get to that form, keep your focus on that "Sign up for updates" box and click the words "email the coalition" again. This will launch an email from your outlook express or other email client addressed to "djohns6@alleghenypower.com". Quick, boys, hide the evidence! Charles Ryan Associates has finally cleaned up their mess and deleted the old web domain off their server. It's about time, I thought I was going to have to draw you a map! If you missed seeing it live, no worries, that's what screen captures are for! What else is Charles Ryan Associates trying to hide at the frantic urging of the power companies? Why was mail to the "coalition" being sent to one of the power company partners in the TrAIL project? "Independent" coalition my eye!

West Virginians for Reliable Power

West Virginians for Reliable Power web domain was created on May 21, 2009 and registered to Hall, K., c/o Network Solutions Private Registration service according to a whois search. The spokesman for West Virginians for Reliable Power listed on press releases is Bryan Brown. The listed phone number (304-546-5500) is an unlisted cell phone number, according to reverse phone number look-up. Bryan Brown is a principal of Brown Communications LLC, a PR/marketing firm in Charleston, WV. Bryan Brown was tied to the Faces of Coal astroturfing scandal in 2009. West Virginians for Reliable Power was not a registered corporation in the state of West Virginia until April 29, 2010, when it was reserved for the exclusive use of one of the West Virginia PATH opponents. Despite having no legal corporation set up, West Virginians for Reliable Power has been holding "forums" across the state and running an advertising campaign, including a banner ad at this Eastern Panhandle newspaper and others throughout the state. According to Bryan Brown, who I spoke to in person at West Virginians for Reliable Power's "Electric Energy Forum" in Martinsburg on May 4, they are "just using that name". This admission was after he tried to tell me that West Virginians for Reliable Power was paying the bill and I challenged him about their lack of existence (Fact: a bank will not open a commercial account for an entity that does not legally exist). Brown then said he was paying for the "forum" out of funds from his company, Brown Communications, LLC, and being reimbursed by members of the "coalition". When asked for the names of the members who were reimbursing his company, he named AEP (American Electric Power) and Allegheny Power and "others". When asked to name the others he first could not and then refused to name them. While Allegheny Power is a member of the "coalition", AEP is not. AEP, however, is a partner in the PATH project with Allegheny Power. If any of you "others" have kicked in to fund this "forum", please send me proof because I really don't believe there are any others. I believe Brown is a liar (and a bad one at that)! West Virginians for Reliable Power's website is hosted by revinteractive.com's server. Revinteractive.com is owned by Kevin Hall at Charles Ryan Associates, and if you read the news article about Hall linked in the Coalition for Reliable Power section of this page, you will see that he created revinteractive for Charles Ryan Associates.

Marylanders for Reliable Power

Marylanders for Reliable Power web domain was created on May 21, 2009 and registered to Hall, K. c/o Network Solutions Private Registration service. The spokeswoman for Marylanders for Reliable Power is Louise Hayman. Hayman is also Director of Communications for The Artemis Group, a PR/marketing firm in Annapolis, MD, that lists its address as 59 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401, the same address listed for Marylanders for Reliable Power on their website. Marylanders for Reliable Power is not a registered corporation in the state of Maryland and appears not to legally exist. On April 5, 2010, and again on May 9, the Marylanders for Reliable Power website claimed "Marylanders for Reliable Power (a 501(c)(3) corporation) is a coalition of citizens..." Mr. LaFollet of the IRS verified that Marylanders for Reliable Power was not a 501(c)(3) corporation on April 21, 2010. The claim has since been removed from their website. This domain is hosted by revinteractive.com's server. Revinteractive.com is owned by Kevin Hall at Charles Ryan Associates.

Pennsylvanians for Reliable Energy

Pennsylvanians for Reliable Energy web domain was created on March 4, 2009 and registered to Affinity Group, 20 North Market Square, Harrisburg, PA 17101, Contact rrhintze@hotmail.com. The Affinity Group doesn't seem to have a website but has the same physical address as Affion Public, 20 N Second St., Suite 200, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Here's a profile of Rhett Hintze that lists Affinity Group LLC as his company with the same address, 20 N. Second St., Suite 200. Well, well, well, it looks like someone finally invited ol' Rhett to the party and he had to sacrifice his spoke profile. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. Rhett Hintze is also affiliated with The Bravo Group, a PR/marketing company whose address is 20 North Market Square, Harrisburg, PA. This domain is hosted by The Bravo Group's server.

The fraud

This evidence leads me to believe that this is a poorly organized and ill-conceived attempt to influence regulatory, legislative and public opinion. These groups are not the independent coalitions of citizens, businesses, organizations and legislators they claim to be, but are frauds being perpetrated not only on the public, but on their own members as well. If these groups are truly state specific coalitions of businesses, legislators, organizations and citizens, why did they all originate at a PR firm in Charleston, WV, that works for power companies involved in permit applications for transmission lines in all three states? More importantly, who is paying for this? Are these costs being tacked onto "prudent costs" of the transmission line projects and being passed onto ratepayers in 13 states along with FERC incentives as high as 14.3%?