[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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",6142936,"mediaKeyId","5541447-24428e863947e37d5d24a3c7af5c6278","parentId",5541447,"title","PSC accepts FY26 environmental surcharge and county fuel tax filings for multiple utilities, waives 30‑day notice","audioSeconds",791,"startMs",1698000,"endMs",2489000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5541447-24428e863947e37d5d24a3c7af5c6278&start=1698&end=2489","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5541447-24428e863947e37d5d24a3c7af5c6278/thumbnail_1698000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6142936/Maryland/PSC-accepts-FY26-environmental-surcharge-and-county-fuel-tax-filings-for-multiple-utilities-waives-30day-notice","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6142936-9d5d62faaa4b67e8fc88a6124ab94460/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054084&Signature=judt0VRTj3ZQAcfju4j~7V~0Gh36BLHpjQxoVCdNWWNxBPkdSW2iZsvqS7BKngyCwCEFo4CQRcZY-5n9sqZYcb037O4JfVmAxZBJGkXwCfi~ZXfVmSdwm1nmZMlxWpeiD3TPl0sW6o7Qo4apIBR4p6ybVyybi8sY-wKvRT3JzUemTxqfOh2gOwbzyyOI~xaCC6BYou6XmDGcoqQOhPmL94XCdjus5OLVEBGR13usE7wIOU~GjlshSqni0yN6UfIbAelFV-9Nzx0MYnhUzztvAsk2hgwcKMv-Id2IGuEW2~IsLKUQ7m656bFy5zElW2K5ddoq8lEY9aRPQQfJsEFqCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland PSC","date","2025-08-07T04:39:45Z","article","The Maryland Public Service Commission on Aug. 6, 2025 accepted a series of utility filings to update environmental surcharge rates and Montgomery County fuel energy tax (MCFET) surcharges for fiscal year 2026 and granted requested waivers of the 30‑day notice requirement under the Public Utilities Article.

What the commission approved
- Delmarva Power and Light Company: staff presented revised tariff pages reflecting an environmental surcharge for fiscal year 2026 and recommended acceptance for filing with an effective date consistent with the Commission’s June 30 general notice.
- Potomac Edison Company and Baltimore Gas & Electric Company (BGE): staff recommended and the commission accepted updated Montgomery County fuel energy tax surcharge billing rates for residential and nonresidential customers (effective 07/01/2025) and granted requested waivers of the 30‑day notice requirement under PUA §4‑203(a).
- Hagerstown Light Department: staff reported an increase in the Maryland environmental surcharge for FY26 from $0.000150 to $0.000163 per kilowatt‑hour; the commission accepted the filing and waived the 30‑day notice.

Selected figures and impacts
- Montgomery County fuel energy tax for electric residential customers: base tax 0.1106 per kWh; grossed up billing rate 0.113227 per kWh; monthly bill impact for a 1,000 kWh residential customer reported as $11.32 (unchanged from prior fiscal year). Staff verified related calculations submitted by Potomac Edison and BGE.
- Hagerstown environmental surcharge FY26: increase resulting in about a $0.16 monthly impact for a 1,000 kWh residential customer (a $0.01 increase from prior fiscal year).

Why it matters
The filings implement the PSC’s FY26 environmental surcharge factors and permit utilities to collect county fuel taxes on customer bills where authorized by county resolutions. Staff recommended waivers of the 30‑day notice period in several cases because the filings followed closely after the PSC’s general notice; the commission granted those waivers.

Outcome
In each case listed on the administrative agenda the commission voted to accept the filings for filing, to apply effective dates consistent with the PSC notice (mostly 07/01/2025 or 08/01/2025 as noted), and to waive the 30‑day notice requirement where utilities requested it. Company representatives on the record thanked staff for its analysis.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Administrative Meeting - 8/6/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its Aug. 6, 2025 administrative meeting the Maryland PSC accepted FY26 environmental surcharge and Montgomery County fuel energy tax filings from multiple utilities and granted requested waivers of the 30‑day notice requirement.","taxTitle","Public Service Commission, Organizations, Executive, Maryland","taxId",80541,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6142945,"PSC hears Saint Agnes request to reduce $2.47 million BGE penalty after boiler failures left hospital unable to curtail gas",6044,2726000,8770000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5541447-24428e863947e37d5d24a3c7af5c6278&start=2726&end=8770","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5541447-24428e863947e37d5d24a3c7af5c6278/thumbnail_2726000.jpg","/articles/6142945/Maryland/PSC-hears-Saint-Agnes-request-to-reduce-247-million-BGE-penalty-after-boiler-failures-left-hospital-unable-to-curtail-gas","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6142945-6b4b8410b2d60d5eb99f405f55756477/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054084&Signature=CI8sERnrI~f2v4S4iF3jpH2Gx17PbKX3wBgzoGYx1KDfIYBeL8NoLEE3pKJBrCRN~5x22LSypVqhZPgaAWpliiHCOYF8sNITzj~7lEQXSwKi-KvVi~bJafCeFU2g71vDOLgLZpyONv1z-HiEpJ9aXZoiputt5jjM1gTbu-cFQdJVOGWCF0vwVJFU~MSYc5dSnC0HElL4yZJ5H2N9CAUGu5VXfEu-tlEGmKmV0sAFYGEnvZ6Hb03o2rH8b7NnYFQ-MtguzVEaIyrfiQkCJiLlXfLwx-zWkZh0kOCd5mVIfbjNPqJ55sFP6~k4TwDOeCkkl0eVu8v2N-KqTc6E8gUOJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On Aug. 6, 2025, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) heard arguments over whether to reduce or waive a $2,473,566 penalty Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. (BGE) assessed to Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital for failing to curtail natural gas during a Jan. 20–23, 2025 curtailment event.

Why it matters: The penalty, staff said, would move the hospital from a modest profit into an operational loss and could affect services for underserved Southwest Baltimore residents. The commission did not rule at the meeting and took the matter under advisement.

Staff summary and recommendation
Cameron Walton of PSC staff summarized the timeline and staff’s calculation. Staff said Saint Agnes experienced a catastrophic boiler failure Nov. 20, 2024; the hospital passed a physical interruption test on Dec. 10, 2024; and during the Jan. 20–23, 2025 interruption the hospital was unable to switch boilers and failed to stop gas usage for 71 hours. Staff said the hospital has spent more than $590,000 on repairs with costs expected to reach about $670,000 and that the hospital ordered about $2,025,000 in fuel oil ahead of the curtailment. Staff recommended a 47% reduction of the assessed penalty, yielding a proposed final penalty of $1,250,326, based on documented repair costs, fuel purchases and estimated system benefits from the hospital’s partial curtailments.

Office of People's Counsel
Mark Sheebas of the Office of People's Counsel (OPC) said OPC supported staff’s 47% recommendation but asked for additional information from the hospital on two points: (1) evidence showing that the hospital substantially reduced gas usage during the interruption period, and (2) more detail about why the boilers failed five weeks after passing the December physical interruption test. Sheebas said, “OPC supports staff’s recommendation for a 47% reduction in the penalty provided that the hospital Ascension can provide more information and explanation on 2 points.”

Hospital account and request
Michael Finnegan, chief operating officer for Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital, described the hospital's circumstances and asked the commission for a larger reduction or full waiver. Finnegan said the hospital serves a high-need community, that patient care continued during the curtailment and that the hospital has invested “almost $700,000 in our fuel switching technology, both before, during, and after the curtailment event.” He said the hospital “acted in good faith” and asked the commission to consider a full waiver or, at minimum, a reduction substantially larger than staff’s recommendation. Later in the hearing Finnegan proposed a reduction equal to the hospital’s annual savings from participating in interruptible service — about $480,000 — if the commission would not grant a full waiver.

BGE and testing procedure
A BGE representative explained the utility’s physical interruption test (PIT) process and said the company is not on-site for PITs but monitors real-time meter data; if a customer fails the first PIT the utility schedules a second test. The BGE representative noted that Saint Agnes failed the first November test and passed the December test. On the possibility of a full waiver, the BGE representative said, “BGE would be against full waiver for any or a complete waiver for any customer because, again, that to me negates the whole purpose of having it.”

Points of dispute
Participants debated whether the hospital performed adequate due diligence when it replaced a subcontractor (NextGen) that staff says misrepresented its capabilities, and whether the PIT as currently designed provides sufficient assurance that a facility will be able to switch fuels in a multi‑day interruption. OPC and several commissioners asked for clearer documentation about the hospital’s curtailment attempts, the timing and nature of the November failure, and details of the December PIT and the subsequent January failure.

Outcome and next steps
The commission did not vote on a final disposition. Chair Hoover said the matter would be taken under advisement and the commission would issue a written decision. Staff and OPC were asked to obtain and review additional documentation: usage data for the full interruption window, the November PIT failure record, and details of the hospital’s post‑event repairs and vendor selection.

Ending note
Because commissioners asked for more documentation and written analysis, the PSC did not adopt a final waiver or reduction at the Aug. 6 meeting. The record shows competing priorities: the tariff’s penalty structure to preserve system reliability, and the hospital’s assertion that the failure was a contractor‑caused, sudden equipment/software breakdown. The commission signaled that it will weigh operational records, the PIT protocol, and the hospital’s corrective actions before issuing a decision.
","On Aug. 6, 2025, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) heard arguments over whether to reduce or waive a $2,473,566 penalty Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. (BGE) assessed to Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital for failing to curtail natural gas during a Jan. 20–23, 2025 curtailment event.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6142940,"PSC overturns NANPA denial, approves Verizon Access request for 3,000 numbering blocks",342,690000,1032000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5541447-24428e863947e37d5d24a3c7af5c6278&start=690&end=1032","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5541447-24428e863947e37d5d24a3c7af5c6278/thumbnail_690000.jpg","/articles/6142940/Maryland/PSC-overturns-NANPA-denial-approves-Verizon-Access-request-for-3000-numbering-blocks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6142940-a1140736f75bc670e46e87b2bf4f6473/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054084&Signature=NptcgMZGdp838iJWT3nSiqSl~Kx5NEfpiS4MVkl7MyCKThzQPWVNqBLhnmfGzumm3anNgvRyjMcu3xUdzGcdt-g1Rm0sUNMOvrbO4XHISQY7EGTZGug3vpPYOkHNzVZvO0hZs4XLiiZCiZWVHt3pT~kpw6uguuiEdjrmA4j-I4gZPkE81XFA~5PHl~C-jrvE2--JMBjTcXDgFJu2CFjuQnwqXFBXUANbrFe~1ebbKYIjKwaNpsPKKprqjVtP~pQQwpDM04aygXwAICpszO90j~4~yZCy4VIovlbkEZ81bokF~voIogcb8ZHMebT21Yr3ClB1NlYePeL6mbqdKZgxUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Maryland Public Service Commission on Aug. 6, 2025 voted to overturn the North American Numbering Plan Administrator’s (NANPA) denial of a request by MCI Metro Access Transmission Services LLC, doing business as Verizon Access Transmission Services, for 3,000 blocks of telephone numbers.

What happened
Jennifer Purvis, appearing for PSC staff, told commissioners that Verizon had applied to NANPA for 3,000 blocks to meet a business customer’s need but NANPA denied the request because the company did not meet the 75% utilization requirement under thousand‑block number pooling rules. Purvis said Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Order 01-362 delegates to state commissions a safety‑valve mechanism to overturn NANPA denials when a verifiable need is shown. Staff concluded the company had demonstrated a verifiable need and recommended the commission overturn NANPA’s denial.

Verizon support and questions
Doug Smith, vice president for state government affairs for Verizon, supported staff’s recommendation and asked commissioners to approve the waiver. Commissioner Litton questioned what would happen to any unused numbers after Verizon filled the immediate customer request; Smith answered that remaining blocks would enter Verizon’s inventory and be available for other customers under NANPA allocation rules.

Commission action
A motion to overturn NANPA's denial and allow the expected allocation of 3,000 numbering blocks passed by recorded voice vote with all commissioners present voting aye.

Why it matters
The decision uses the FCC’s delegated “safety‑valve” mechanism that permits state commissions to override NANPA denials when additional numbering resources are demonstrably needed. Staff and Verizon said the request reflects business growth demands in Maryland and that the allocation would be processed by NANPA after the PSC’s action.
","The Maryland PSC voted Aug. 6, 2025 to overturn the North American Numbering Plan Administrator's denial and to expect NANPA to grant MCI Metro Access Transmission Services LLC d/b/a Verizon Access Transmission Services 3,000 numbering blocks under an FCC safety‑valve delegation to state commissions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

PSC accepts FY26 environmental surcharge and county fuel tax filings for multiple utilities, waives 30‑day notice

PSC hears Saint Agnes request to reduce $2.47 million BGE penalty after boiler failures left hospital unable to curtail gas

PSC overturns NANPA denial, approves Verizon Access request for 3,000 numbering blocks