Comcast May Sell Electricity in Pennsylvania
Comcast has been busy lately. The company now owns 100 percent of NBCUniversal, it’s preparing to build the tallest building in the city again and Brian Roberts is the possible “kingmaker” for a deal with Time Warner Cable.
As part of the company’s expansion, Comcast is also looking to diversify its services. You’ve seen this already with XFINITY Home, which offers security and remote home control. And now, it’s going to sell electricity.
Such a situation isn’t unprecedented: Under three years ago, a small Indiana power company merged with a telecom to offer combined services. Now, Greentech Media reports, Comcast is expected to start selling electricity on a much larger scale:
On a call with reporters to discuss DEFG’s report, Annual Baseline Assessment of Choice in Canada and the United States, Robert Powelson, chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, said that Comcast was teaming up with a retail electric supplier in the state. The electricity offering could be rolled out in the fourth quarter of this year. A representative from Comcast would not provide details, but did confirm “this is something we’re exploring.”
“Now it will be a quadruple play,” said Powelson, talking about cable, Internet, phone and electricity all bundled together.
The move seems to fit for Comcast — it even fits directly in with the Home service, which allows customers to control things like thermostats and lights remotely. See, cord cutters? You can cut the cable and Internet service from your house, but can you live without electricity? Comcast will get your money one way or another.
