Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen is bringing his opposition to higher utility costs into local neighborhoods while Baltimore Gas & Electric pursues a $156 million increase in electric revenue, WBFF reported.
Here's what to know
In Baltimore's Allendale neighborhood, Cohen joined the High Energy Bills Maryland Coalition, and other community partners to talk directly with residents. They all sought out petition signatures and handed out information about energy assistance and how people can make their voices heard in the pending Public Service Commission case.
If BGE's increase goes through as is, the Maryland Office of People's Counsel said the average BGE customer could end up paying roughly $100 more each year.
The Maryland Office of People's Counsel also said that, if approved, BGE's electric distribution rates would be 58% above 2020 levels. And they would be 129% above where they were when utility company Exelon acquired BGE in 2012.
More background
BGE pushed back on the criticism. WBFF relayed that it said, "Our proposed investment strategy reflects the minimum work necessary to keep the lights on and balances our responsibility to maintain a safe, reliable electric system with our commitment under the Exelon Promise to keep bills as low as possible at a time when customers face higher costs for all life essentials."
The utility also warned that delaying needed work would result in more outages and higher costs later.
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What's being done?
Cohen and other advocates' crucial outreach work could affect how this case moves forward.
Residents received information on how to take part in the Public Service Commission proceedings, including public comment hearings and evidentiary hearings that are scheduled to start Nov. 6.
When addressing residents, Cohen said, "Safety matters. Reliability matters. But neither one is a blank check written by Baltimore ratepayers. … Nearly a quarter of this proposed increase would line shareholders' pockets with their customers' hard-earned cash. We stand with the ratepayers, not the shareholders."
Where can I learn more?
Communities in Baltimore and beyond in Maryland are dealing with the cost of utilities in many ways.
• In Maryland, BGE sought an $8 monthly increase as customers questioned its $578 million profit.
• Maryland took a $20 million surcharge fight to FERC as utility costs climbed.
• A Maryland coalition pushed utility oversight bills as annual power costs climbed toward $1,700.
• Maryland residents tapped up to $2,000 in aid, rebates, and bill-cutting upgrades.
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