SUN: Court sides with BGE over who pays for $120M in Baltimore upgrades

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A Baltimore judge on Monday sided with BGE in a dispute over who should bear the cost of upgrades to the city’s underground conduit network, upholding a state regulator’s decision allowing the utility to recover up to $120 million through customer rates over time.

The ruling is a victory for BGE and leaves intact a key part of the utility’s multiyear rate plan, while dealing a setback to the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel (OPC), the state agency that represents residential utility customers.

At the center of the case was a unique arrangement between BGE and Baltimore involving the city’s underground conduit system — a network of tunnels and pathways that carries electric, telecommunications and other utility lines beneath city streets.

Under a 2023 agreement, BGE agreed to spend up to $120 million upgrading parts of the city-owned system through 2026. In return, the utility received reduced occupancy fees and said it would recoup the money spent on upgrades over time.

Read the full story on The Baltimore Sun.