Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Arundel on the Bay residents met with BGE representatives to try and find solutions to what they see as frequent power outage problems.
Representatives from Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) spent a few hours on Tuesday morning working to repair its relationship with residents from Arundel on the Bay. "There is a part of me that's really incredulous," resident Tim Hamilton said. "I've never lived in a place where people buy generators like they live in a third world country." Arundel on the Bay customers have experienced sustained outages—meaning longer than five minutes—29 times since 2006 while neighboring communities like Hillsmere Shores have lost power just 5 times, according to statistics compiled by BGE. During June's derecho storm many community members commiserated about being out of power for up to six days. These extended outages pose additional complications for…
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Public commentary on BGE's performance after the June 29 derecho storm was mostly negative.
About 22 people from around Maryland criticized Baltimore Gas and Electric's (BGE) performance after the June 29 derecho storm at a public meeting in Annapolis on Monday night. "I've lived in Third World countries; I’ve lived in rural Mississippi; I’ve lived behind the Iron Curtain, and I have never experienced the poor power supply that I have here in Annapolis," Dave Bastian said. Jason Kammerdiener said he lived through nine hurricanes in Florida and lost power for more than two days each time, but he's often without power in Arnold for five or more days. "I feel as though I’m a slave in my own house," Kammerdiener said. He compared BGE's customer service to "a three-ring circus, and I’m the clown in the car." The two-hour meeting was …
Friday, August 3, 2012
"It is important to note that no utility east of the Mississippi River could have anticipated the raw strength of this storm system," stated the BGE report.
UPDATED (2:12 p.m.)—The unpredictability of the June derecho was an important factor in the scope and length of power outages across service area of Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), according to a new report filed with the state. BGE filed its Major Outage Event Report with the Public Service Commission on July 30 as is required by Maryland law after a "major outage event." The derecho, which hit on June 29, left more than three quarters of a million Maryland customers in the dark—62 percent of BGE’s customer base in Maryland. More than 100,000 BGE customers in Anne Arundel County lost power in June in the days after the storm. The investigation was initiated by a letter sent by Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and six other elected …
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Maryland Public Service Commission will hold a hearing Aug. 13 in Annapolis for public commentary on how BGE preformed in restoring power after the June 29 storm.
Maryland wants to hear from Annapolis residents about how Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) handled power restoration after the June 29 storm. A public hearing will be held in the joint hearing room of the Legislative Services Building at 90 State Circle at 7 p.m. on Aug. 13, according to a press release from the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC). The PSC, which regulates BGE, is reviewing how the utility company preformed in its power restoration efforts, according to CBS Baltimore. The company had three weeks from the storm's date to provide the commission with a detailed report, and PSC can impose fines or require utility companies to make improvements as a result of its investigation. It took BGE employees eight days to …
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, …
Friday, July 13, 2012
Community and homeowners associations can call Anne Arundel County to order a Dumpster.
The derecho that swept through the county on June 29 has left many Annapolis residents' yards and driveways full of storm debris. If residents are still in need of a safe way to dispose of the tree limbs, community and homeowners associations can request a Dumpster from the county. Storm debris removal assistance may be requested through the Office of Community and Constituent Services, according to a press release. To make the Dumpster request, a representative of the association should call 410-222-1795 or email ccservices@aacounty.org. Yard waste, including storm debris, placed at the curb for recycling must be bagged or put in a container and marked with an "X." If not in a container, branches must be tied into bundles (not to exceed 4…
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
In a letter to the utilities' regulatory agency, leaders of seven jurisdictions outline changes they said need to be made in light of the power failures during the derecho storm.
Less than two weeks after a massive storm disabled power to more than three quarters of a million Maryland residents, elected leaders wrote in a letter to a state regulatory agency that utility companies need to improve their performance and disclose critical outage information when government agencies request it. In the letter to the Public Service Commission, officials urged the regulatory agency to consider changes to the way utilities operate, including burying some power lines underground, mandatory staffing levels and improved disclosure of outage information to local municipal officials. The letter was signed by Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold, Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and the executives of …
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Who to call and what to do if you have tree damage or downed limbs on your property, and what to do if you're worried about the trees on your property that seem healthy.
The severe thunderstorms and high winds that swept through Maryland Friday downed trees and power lines across the state, and people are now tasked with the cleanup. Annapolis Patch spoke with Chuck Preslipsky, the owner of unLIMBited Tree Service, and Tyler Balderson, manager of Bartlett Tree Experts, about how to proceed if your trees or property were damaged. Both are state certified arborists, and they offered this advice on when to call in the professionals and how to pick the right tree company. When not to DIY Preslipsky and Balderson both agreed that any limbs left hanging in the trees should always be left to a professional. "We really highly recommend that if you’re going to get off the ground you call in somebody that is an …
Patch has tracked the more than 130,000 outages in Anne Arundel County since Friday.
Even if you didn't lose power, you probably know someone who did in Anne Arundel County. After Friday's derecho storm and in the days that followed, more than 130,000 Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) local customers lost power. For those still experiencing an outage, there's a list online of where BGE crews are currently working. According to the BGE outage map on Tuesday, there were still more than 30,000 outages in the county—and more than 100,000 customers had their power restored since Friday. Patch wants to know what your experience was with BGE during the restoration effort: Are you satisfied with the way BGE has handled the power outages? Leave a comment and vote in the poll below.
A fourth Marylander died from heat and a contractor was killed taking down limbs from a damaged tree, bringing the toll to eight, as Gov. Martin O’Malley stresses that it is still a dangerous situation for elderly citizens.
UPDATED 3:50 p.m. Tuesday: Maryland officials reported a fourth heat-related death and the death of contractor who was removing tree limbs, bringing Maryland’s total to eight deaths due to Friday’s storm, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Joshua Sharfstein reported. The contractor died Monday in Garrett County while taking down limbs from a storm-damaged tree near Oakland, according to Ed McDonough, spokesman for the Maryland Emegency Management Agency (MEMA). More heat-related deaths are expected as crews restore power to the state, Sharfstein said. Gov. Martin O’Malley said the situation for senior citizens still without electricity and, therefore, air conditioning, is dire. “We are still in a very …
Traci M. Radice
11:18 pm on Saturday, September 8, 2012
did you know that Smart Meters can cause fires??? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48949032/ns/local_news-delaware_valley_pa_nj/t/puc-calls-meeting-peco-smart-meter-vendors/ Visit www.marylandsmartmeterawareness.org for more information and if you have had ANY power surges or other electricity issues since receiving a smart meter, please contact us immediately. more ›