BALTIMORE — The Baltimore City Council will introduce a resolution tonight calling on the state to stop BGE's rate hikes.
"The rates that BGE charges for delivery have soared as the utility reports massive earnings on behalf of their parent company," said the office of City Council President Zeke Cohen, who is introducing the resolution.
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The resolution cites an order that allows the rate plan to be canceled “in the event of extraordinary circumstances that call into question whether the existing rates are just and reasonable.” It urges the state to take "action to bring an end to the multi-year rate increase impacting Baltimore residents and businesses and put people over profits."
The city council just held hearings on residents' concerns about the bills.
The state's General Assembly did recently introduce a package of bills to lower energy bills.
Here is the language of the city's proposed resolution:
Request for State Action – End the Multi-Year Rate Plan (MRP) Pilot and Cancel the Planned 2026 Baltimore Gas and Electric Distribution Rate Increase
For the purpose of calling on the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to end its Muti-Year Rate Plan Pilot, and to invoke the “off-ramp” provision to cancel the planned 2026 Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) gas and electric distribution rate increases.
Recitals
Whereas, according to research from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel (OPC), low-income Baltimore City residents have among the highest home energy cost burdens in the United States.
Whereas, BGE residential terminations increased by 36.7% from 2019 to 2023.
Whereas, analysis by OPC in its February 2025 “Maryland Gas Utility Spending Report” predicts that if BGE continues its current level of capital investment, residential customers’ average winter bills will increase from an average of $240 per month in 2022-2024 to $402 per month in 2035, a 67 percent increase, and $498 per month by 2050, a 107 percent increase.
Whereas, BGE’s gas distribution rates have increased by 50% since the start of the start of BGE’s first multi-year rate plan.
Whereas, PSC Order No. 90948 discusses the possibility of invoking an “off-ramp” for BGE’s multi-year rate plan, “in the event of extraordinary circumstances that call into question whether the existing rates are just and reasonable.”
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of Baltimore, That the Baltimore City Council calls on the Maryland Public Service Commission to end its Muti-Year Rate Plan Pilot and invoke the “off-ramp” provision to cancel the planned 2026 Baltiomre Gas and Electric Company (BGE) gas and electric distribution rate increases.
