William Kemble in The Daily Freeman reports the state Public Service Commission released a report Thu., June 28 criticizing Verizon for not adequately communicating to its customers in the wake of Tropical Storms Irene and Lee last summer, and praising Central Hudson for quickly informing the public. The report scores utilities and telecommunications companies how well they kept the commission and public informed during 1.1 million electric service outages and loss of service to 900,000 telecommunications customers during the storms last summer. The report included recommendations that utilities and telecommunications companies provide information via text messaging and websites about when service is expected to be restored in specific areas. “We also found the utilities need to expand their use of the newer technologies, such as text messaging and social media, to interact with and keep customers informed,” Christian Bondvin, a systems operations specialist with the state Office for Electric, Gas and Water, said. The report also noted that efforts to share information between wireless and landline phone providers were not always honored. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.