[{"_1":2,"_76":-5,"_77":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6520398,"mediaKeyId","5331740-e6c5f798588ef51b395b49050b8de2ef","parentId",5331740,"title","Maryland PSC staff reports record diverse‑spend ratio for utilities; commissioners, companies push to revive Utility Forum","audioSeconds",5424,"startMs",456000,"endMs",5880000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5331740-e6c5f798588ef51b395b49050b8de2ef&start=456&end=5880","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5331740-e6c5f798588ef51b395b49050b8de2ef/thumbnail_456000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6520398/Maryland/Maryland-PSC-staff-reports-record-diversespend-ratio-for-utilities-commissioners-companies-push-to-revive-Utility-Forum","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520398-ee51590e3295f0c52bdca1783ef8a814/orig.mp4?Expires=1775220601&Signature=detaZ4gLqa84BNA~Elq-LqGl-6e4nDS35znxdvPMibuRIoPKsTDV13C~9WUwZNbKiuVNYmaIC2YzwpGIhN8j26poANL2kDphTgcg-gtDBbshdT8GDY9UMFvtIgStAgmiYqTw8Wo-7Z4fG88UNlutoMp3IqWjIMcN2e-FdcrM3zu~jGFnhlpR92ioBmWbEGKicUATECgdawMZWLBr8OAC6Ln-amYSs90zW3~Hp~rVmXtxkRm1Wp43UlhwKc9R~vvDuYi7xun5ZV3rP2yWWUKFtW82pedZC99igbMCrFtq4CrsQPChQUkIA64eT9IjgzEkhvoBsrkrb5z6-FoTeDGAOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Public Service Commission, MD","date","2025-06-18T20:53:39Z","article","On behalf of the Maryland Public Service Commission, a guest chair opened the 2025 PC‑52 Harold and William Supplier Diversity Conference and asked technical staff to present the commission’s 2024 Supplier Diversity Report.

The commission's technical staff reported that Maryland utilities have substantially increased procurement from certified diverse suppliers since the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was first signed, and that the statewide diverse spend ratio (DSR) is at its highest level since tracking began. “This year, the DSR was 41.78%,” Alex Lee, a regulatory economist with the commission’s technical staff, told the commission, noting long‑term growth in both diverse spend and total procurement since 2009.

Why it matters: the MOU and the PSC’s annual PC‑52 reporting track utility contracting with minority‑, women‑, veteran‑ and other certified diverse businesses. The MOU’s original aspirational goal was 25% of total procurement; staff and several utilities told commissioners that many signatories now exceed that threshold and are developing supplier‑development programs to expand participation further.

Staff findings and statewide context
Alex Lee said the DSR has risen from roughly 15% in 2009 to a multiyear average near 40% and reported aggregate amounts that staff compiled over the program’s history: diverse spending rising from roughly $261 million in 2009 to about $2.15 billion in 2024, and total procurement increasing from about $1.7 billion in 2009 to about $5.15 billion in 2024. Lee said the program has been a national leader and that data collection and consistent participation remain priorities.

Utility highlights and presentations
Several utilities described their 2024 performance, supplier‑development work and outreach efforts:
- Vernice Lewis, representing Exelon’s Maryland utilities (Pepco, BGE and Delmarva Power), said Exelon’s three utilities spent about $688 million with diverse businesses in 2024, and that roughly $287 million of that — about 42% — went to Maryland‑based diverse businesses. Lewis described empowerment academies and a new IT‑focused academy used to build supplier capacity.

- John Conwell of Comcast praised the MOU and cautioned that company and market changes can affect diverse‑spend totals: “I worry about the day when we're not the beneficiary of some consolidation that occurred with our supplier community,” he said, urging ongoing attention to market dynamics.

- Washington Gas reported continued growth: Delon Johnson, senior manager for supply diversity at Washington Gas, said the company achieved 35.9% diverse addressable spend in 2024 and was trending higher in 2025 (the company reported a 2025 trend of about 37.7%). Johnson described loan‑program partnerships and outreach through a Prince George’s County financial intermediary created under a merger commitment.

- Maryland American Water representatives reported a 2024 diverse‑spend share of 26.3% but said capital expenditure growth made maintaining the percentage more challenging even as diverse dollars increased. The company described expanded regional supplier‑development staffing and a six‑module supplier program followed by mentor–protégé pairings.

- Smaller utilities and cooperatives gave varied reports: Potomac Edison reported 32.38% in 2024 (32.85% year‑to‑date as of May 2025), SMECO reported its supplier‑diversity spend rose to 22.8% in 2024 and said it registered dozens of new tier‑1 diverse vendors, Choptank reported 8.48% in 2024 (noting rural and self‑certification thresholds as ongoing constraints), Columbia Gas of Maryland reported 13.25% in Maryland for 2024 (company said the decline reflected lower capital expenditures rather than reduced outreach), and Easton Utilities said it continues to seek bids and build capacity despite its smaller procurement footprint.

Common challenges and responses
Utility speakers and commissioners repeatedly identified similar constraints: mergers and acquisitions that remove suppliers’ diversity status, sector insurance and safety requirements and the capital‑intensive nature of some utility contracts, and uneven data practices across signatories.

- Multiple presenters noted that prime contractors sometimes “consolidate” or change, which can shrink recognized diverse spend even when outreach is active. As John Hynes of Easton Utilities and others framed it, smaller utilities face hurdles finding certified firms for large capital items (transformers, wire and excavation).

- Several companies said they are using supplier‑development programs, targeted empowerment academies, tier‑2 reporting improvements and category‑management approaches to expand the pool of competitive, certified diverse suppliers.

Calls to reinvigorate the Utility Forum
Multiple utility representatives and commissioners urged reconstituting the Maryland Utility Forum — a peer convening that several speakers said used to support coordination, data‑sharing and shared outreach. “It was a benefit to us,” Larry Wooten, director of supplier diversity for American Water, said of the forum, and several others agreed that a revived forum could help utilities compare practices, share references on top performing diverse suppliers and coordinate supplier development events.

Next steps
At the hearing’s close the guest chair said the commission will act on the record: “The Commission will issue a public determination as required by the Code of Maryland Regulations, in the very near future,” the chair said. The technical staff and utilities signaled they will continue to refine data collection, expand supplier development and pursue targeted outreach to address category‑specific gaps.

Notes on sourcing and scope
This article summarizes staff testimony, utility presentations and on‑the‑record exchanges from the Maryland Public Service Commission’s PC‑52 supplier‑diversity proceeding. Numbers and quotations are taken from statements on the hearing record; where speakers discussed multi‑year averages or year‑to‑date trends, the article reports those statements as presented at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","PC 52 Supplier Diversity Hearing - 7/8/2025","oneSentenceSummary","On behalf of the Maryland Public Service Commission, a guest chair opened the 2025 PC‑52 Harold and William Supplier Diversity Conference and asked technical staff to present the commission’s 2024 Supplier Diversity Report.","taxTitle","Public Service Commission, Independent Agencies, Organizations, Executive, Maryland","taxId",80344,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary","actionData","errors"]

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Maryland PSC staff reports record diverse‑spend ratio for utilities; commissioners, companies push to revive Utility Forum