Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities Energy Bge topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Annapolis committee presses BGE after two Robinwood outages; utility to prioritize cable replacement and provide bill breakdowns
Summary
On March 17 the Annapolis Housing & Human Welfare Committee questioned BGE about two outages in the Robinwood neighborhood that occurred Jan. 24 and Feb. 28, and pressed the utility for clearer explanations of recent rate increases and how residents can access assistance.
Annapolis — Members of the Annapolis Housing & Human Welfare Committee pressed Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) officials on March 17 about two winter outages in the Robinwood neighborhood and the effect of recent rate increases on vulnerable customers.
The committee heard from Marshae Taylor, external affairs for BGE, who said the utility’s reliability team investigated two outages — on Jan. 24 and Feb. 28 — and “we did find out that the issue was on BGE’s end.” Taylor said engineers identified secondary cable faults and that BGE has prioritized installing a new cable to prevent repeat outages.
The committee’s chair, Alderman Gaye, said the Jan. 24 outage occurred on one of the coldest nights of the winter and emphasized the human consequences of losing heat during extreme weather. Director Simmons of the Office of Emergency Management was acknowledged for coordinating responses on the nights of the outages.
Why this matters: committee members linked the outages to broader concerns about aging energy infrastructure, the recent multi-year rate increases approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) and the affordability of utility service for low-income and elderly residents. Committee members asked for clearer explanations of how rate increases are used.
BGE officials described two separate drivers behind higher customer bills: the costs of distribution-system investments (pipe and cable replacement, upgrades) and commodity and generation costs. Danielle Gooden, senior manager of external affairs at BGE, told the committee that “transparency does come from the PSC,” and said BGE will provide the committee with a breakdown of the bill drivers and the components that appear on customer statements.
BGE also described local corporate community investments. Taylor said that in 2024 BGE (through its corporate community impact program) reported about $350,000 in support to 17 organizations in Anne Arundel County, with 10 located in Annapolis. Taylor offered to provide a list of specific local partners and to notify the city when the cable replacement work will be scheduled.
On customer assistance, committee members pressed for easier access to the PSC’s public proceedings and for clearer, plain-language explanations of individual bills. Taylor and Gooden said BGE’s customer-care team can go line-by-line with customers and that BGE will try to provide clearer public guidance and links to PSC meeting information. Taylor proposed bringing a local “BGE Energy open house” to Annapolis to help residents understand bills, payment-plan options and energy-efficiency programs.
Office of Community Services (OCS) data presented to the committee showed how city funds have been used for emergency utility and rental aid. Jada Boykin of OCS gave recent program figures: in one recent week OCS accepted 25 energy-assistance applications and awarded $30,832, an average award of $1,233; for fiscal year 2025 to date OCS reported 58 BGE applications, 17 awards and $13,668 in awards (average $805). Committee members cited those figures while urging both stronger vetting of city-funded assistance and expanded community outreach to find residents who need help but do not apply.
What the utility will do next: BGE committed to (1) provide the committee with a written breakdown of the drivers on customer bills, (2) notify the city’s office when the cable replacement work in Robinwood will be scheduled and (3) explore community outreach options such as an open house in Annapolis. OCS said it will re-open applications when recently allocated funds are posted and is developing tighter vetting and educational supports for recipients.
Committee members stressed the limits of local authority: they noted the PSC sets rates and that local government does not control PSC decisions, but said local officials will continue to push for transparency and for programs that protect the most vulnerable from shutoffs.
The committee did not adopt any formal new local regulation at the March 17 meeting; members agreed to follow up with BGE and city staff and to continue the conversation at future meetings.
