BGE

Virtual Public Comment Hearings Set for BGE’s Rate Increase August 9, 2023

Comment by Delegate Wu: I really wish they provide a document along this notice why BGE feels there is a need to increase rate by 5% per year. We already have high inflation.

(BALTIMORE, MD) – The Maryland Public Service Commission has scheduled two initial virtual public comment hearings on the multi-year rate plan filed in February by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company. Utility customers and other interested parties are welcome to take part in the hearings on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, August 23 at 7 p.m. The Commission will schedule an additional public comment hearing at a later date.

According to BGE’s application, the company proposes a combined gas and electric rate increase of $602.4 million over three years, which it says will increase the average residential customer’s bill by five percent per year. The company provides electric distribution service to more than 1.3 million customers and gas service to 700,000 customers in the greater central Maryland region, including Baltimore City and all or part of 10 surrounding counties.  

To speak at a hearing, send an email to kimberly.schock@maryland.gov by 12 noon on Monday, August 7 (for the first hearing) or by 12 noon on Monday, August 21 (for the second hearing). For those who just want to watch the hearings, they will be livestreamed on the Commission’s YouTube channel.

The Commission will also accept written comments (until September 29, 2023) which can be sent by mail or submitted electronically through the online portal at https://www.psc.state.md.us/make-a-public-comment/

Comments sent by mail should be addressed to: Andrew Johnston, Executive Secretary, Maryland Public Service Commission, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. So that they are noted in the proper case file, all comments should reference Case No. 9692. Only one copy is necessary.

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About the Public Service Commission:

The Maryland Public Service Commission regulates electric and gas utilities and suppliers, telephone companies (land lines), certain water and sewer companies, passenger motor vehicle carriers for hire (sedans, limousines, buses, Uber, Lyft), taxicab companies (in Baltimore City and County, Charles County, Cumberland and Hagerstown) and bay pilot rates.

$20K Grant Opportunity for MD-Based Businesses

I wanted to share an exciting opportunity for Maryland-based small businesses to apply for $20,000 grants launching on Monday, Feb. 13th, that I am hoping you will help share with your audience as well. 

I’ve included a longer description below, as well as an attached one-pager in English for sharing and for your reference. Here is a link to our marketing toolkit.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

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Through the BGE Energizing Small Business Grants Program, eligible businesses located in BGE’s service area will have the opportunity this year to apply for grants of $20,000: 

  • Grant opens on Monday, February 13th, 2023 at 9 a.m. ET and closes March 24th, 2023, at 6 p.m. ET. Recipients will be announced in June.

Applicants must be an existing BGE electric and/or gas customer with positive BGE credit history. Other eligibility criteria include:

  • Be a business founded in 2020 or prior
  • In good standing (or on the way to) with the State of Maryland
  • A maximum of twenty-five (25) employees
  • Annual gross revenues in 2021 of less than $7 million USD
  • Demonstrated need for funding to support business and serve customers

Since the launch of the BGE Energizing Small Business Grants program in 2021, BGE, Hello Alice, and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) engaged over 400 partner organizations and 10,000 small businesses, dispersed over $7.98M in funds to 397 diverse small business owners across a variety of industries in the state of Maryland and provided continued support to non-recipients through access to unlimited tools, resources and step-by-step guides within the Hello Alice platform. 

Thank you for your help to enable us to reach even more Maryland-based small businesses in the third year of the program.

We appreciate your help and support for small businesses!

Best Regards,


Adriana Williams
Partner Success Manager, Hello Alice 
helloalice.com 
@helloalice