Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen calls for transparency in BGE multi-year rate hike decision
Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen is calling for transparency over decisions made on the future of BGE's proposed multi-year rate hikes for 2026.
In a social media post Monday, Cohen shared a letter that he sent to the Maryland Public Service Commission, in which he said Calvin Butler, CEO of BGE's parent company Exelon, stated that they are anticipating a decision on the "lessons learned" about BGE's rate hikes by the end of the second quarter.
"During the earnings call, Exelon CEO Calvin Butler answered a question about the Lessons Learned Proceedings before the Maryland Public Service Commission in which the Commission is expected to determine the future of Multi-Year Rate Plans," Cohen wrote.
The Maryland Public Service Commission approved BGE's multi-year delivery rate hikes in 2023, which authorized a total increase of just under $408 million over three years, covering both gas and electric services.
The Maryland Public Service Commission tells WJZ that it has not set a timeline on when a decision will be made.
"This reconciliation proceeding and any decisions made about BGE's multi-year rate plan have been and will remain public and transparent," The Maryland Public Service Commission said in a statement.
In the letter, Cohen asks if the decision timeline is accurate and calls for PSC to publicly provide a correction if it is not.
If the timeline is accurate, Cohen said he is extremely concerned that Exelon has access to sensitive information that is not shared with the public, and that the PSC should investigate how the timeline was potentially shared outside the commission and its staff.
How much have BGE's energy rates gone up?
In 2023, the PSC said its planned rate hikes for 2024 would result in the average residential electric bill being increased by about $4.08 per month, and the average gas bill by $10.43 per month.
On January 1, 2025, BGE implemented a rate hike, which was expected to increase the average gas bill by 9% and the electric bill by 7%.
But this past winter, customers in Maryland reported much more drastic spikes.
Why the cost spike?
By February 2025, customers reported seeing energy cost increases of more than $200. BGE attributed the dramatic increases to higher energy usage during a cold winter and a 30% year-over-year spike in the price of natural gas.
Both cold winters and hot summers, along with infrastructural upgrades, can lead to energy rate hikes, according to the Maryland Office of People's Counsel.
How have city leaders responded?
Baltimore City Council has been vocal in its opposition, passing a resolution urging the PSC to halt BGE's planned 2026 rate hikes and arguing that infrastructure upgrades should not be funded solely by ratepayers.
In April, state lawmakers passed the Next Generation Energy Act, which aims to reduce energy costs by requiring gas pipeline spending to prioritize safety and cost-effectiveness, directing the Public Service Commission to reject multi-year rate hikes that don't demonstrate customer benefit, and prohibiting utilities from charging ratepayers for certain expenses like trade association memberships and private planes.
