Friday, October 26, 2012
The Maryland Public Service Commission today eliminated the storm bill stabilization 24-hour grace period.
Effectively immediately, Pepco and BGE customers will not be charged for sales lost during the first 24 hours of major storm power outages, by order of the Maryland Public Service Commission. Area residents this summer were outraged to find themselves charged for power during the weeklong outages caused by the June 29 derecho. The charges came as part of a Bill Stabilization Adjustment program, which allowed utilities to bill customers for the first 24 hours after a power outage, effectively charging customers for power when they have none. The program was designed to increase efficiency, according to the commission. Friday's orders, affecting Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, Delmarva Power and Light Company, Potomac Electric Power …
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Maryland Public Service Commission calls a public hearing for Sept. 24 to examine "bill stabilization."
The Maryland Public Service Commission is asking the public to weigh in on whether utilities should be able to collect a fee to recoup losses from catastrophic events such as major power outages. The commission, which oversees utilities including Pepco and Baltimore Gas and Electric, will hold a public hearing Sept. 24 in Baltimore. The fee, imposed under a regulation known as bill stabilization adjustment, allows utilities to charge ratepayers for losses sustained during the first 24 hours of major outages. Following backlash from the public and local officials over Pepco’s response to the crippling June 29 storm, the fee drew outrage from customers who were out of power for days. More than 100 readers weighed in on a Patch story about …
Monday, August 6, 2012
What was your Pepco experience after the June 29 derecho? The Maryland Public Service Commission wants to know.
The Maryland Public Service Commission wants to hear people’s experiences dealing with Pepco after thousands were left powerless for more than a week in the wake of the violent June 29 storm. A public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Council Office Building in Rockville, the first of eight hearings the PSC has planned statewide in order to assess the response of power companies following the derecho. At its peak, the storm caused power loss to more than 483,639 Pepco customers, Patch has reported. The utility company took nearly 10 days to fully restore power to all its customers, sparking public criticism from government leaders and lawmakers throughout the DC-metro region. “We need to hear from the customers, from the rate …
Monday, July 23, 2012
The increase will raise a household's monthly electricity bill by about $2, according to a statement issued by the Maryland Public Service Commission.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
The "Pack up Pepco" petition, started by Town of Somerset Councilwoman Cathy Pickar, made the morning news on Thursday.
On Thursday, Town of Somerset Councilwoman Cathy Pickar starred on ABC 7's Good Morning Washington to talk about the "Pack up Pepco" campaign that she started in response to the lengthy power outage that much of the area experienced after the June 29 derecho. Pickar's petition is very much a grassroots movement—neighbors helped her prepare the petition, and her daughter, Crystal Pickar, helped with the website. The "Pack up Pepco" song—which is ready and waiting for a flash mob—was written and performed on YouTube by Pickar herself. The lyrics of the refrain capture well the mood of the community post-derecho: Six long days and 100 degrees, the sweat drips thick with corporate greed. The live wires dancin' and the hot sparks fly while the…
Friday, July 20, 2012
The increase will raise a household's monthly electricity bill by about $2, according to a statement issued by the Maryland Public Service Commission.
Of the $68 million rate increase requested by Pepco, the Maryland Public Service Commission has rejected $50 million. Still, the $18 million rate increase "translates into a $2.02 typical residential monthly bill impact" (a 1.69 percent increase), according to a statement issued by the Maryland Public Service Commission on Friday afternoon. In the rejection order, the commission "noted its overall dissatisfaction with Pepco’s performance, and characterized its request to increase returns to shareholders 'before Pepco corrects its sub-par performance' as 'backwards,' " according to the statement. Pepco filed the request on Dec. 16, 2011. "The full record in the case included testimony from 31 witnesses and 11 days of evidentiary hearings, …
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Yet another petition against Pepco is underway, but this one stands out from the rest with a catchy song that's ripe for a flash mob.
Amidst the plethora of petitions against Pepco, one petition—"Pack up Pepco"—stands out with its catchy song that's just waiting for use by a flash mob. Written and performed on YouTube by Town of Somerset Council Member Cathy Pickar, the song has a refrain that captures the community's mood well: Six long days and 100 degrees, the sweat drips thick with corporate greed. The live wires dancin' and the hot sparks fly while the people try to celebrate the Fourth of July! Pickar organized the "Pack Up Pepco" petition with the help of neighbors, Rockville resident Abbe Milstein, Somerset Mayor Jeffrey Slavin and other Somerset Council members, Pickar said. Her daughter Crystal Pickar helped her with the website. The petition calls for: The …
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The county councilman has launched a petition urging the governor to replace members of the Maryland Public Service Commission.
County Councilman Hans Riemer (D-At large) of Silver Spring is calling on Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) to replace members of the Maryland Public Service Commission, the state regulatory body that oversees Pepco and Baltimore Gas and Electric. Riemer has launched a petition at a MoveOn.org-sponsored website, The Gazette reports. The petition comes in the wake of mounting frustration with Pepco after the June 29 derecho storm, which left widespread power outages and tens of thousands of people in the heat and dark for days. Nearly 2,400 have signed on to the petition since it launched Friday at noon, Riemer said Monday night, speaking at a meeting of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board. By Tuesday morning, nearly 2,700…
Friday, May 25, 2012
Marylanders may request that utility companies defer installing smart meters in their homes or businesses, pending a decision by the PSC on whether customers will be able to opt out of receiving the smart meters.
In a small score for those against the installation of smart meters in their homes, the Maryland Public Service Commission decided Thursday that Marylanders may request utility companies defer the installation of smart meter devices in their homes or businesses, pending a final decision by the PSC on whether customers may opt out of receiving smart meters. "The [PSC]’s order is effective immediately and affects customers in the Baltimore Gas & Electric, Potomac Electric Power Company [Pepco] and Delmarva Power service territories," according to a PSC statement. "Also, customers who already have smart meters installed, but do not wish to have one, may inform their utility in writing. The utility cannot activate those customers’ smart meter …
Al Carr
4:15 pm on Saturday, October 27, 2012
Members of the General Assembly have been pushing for this change for a while now. I am glad that the PSC has finally seen the light. http://mlis.state.md.us/2011rs/billfile/hb1278.htm more ›