Have Your Say: Public Input Sought into BGE Reliability

The state agency that regulates utilities has scheduled a public hearing regarding the reliability of BGE’s service in certain Ellicott City neighborhoods. 

In February, more than 300 residents of Font Hill, Valley Mede and several nearby neighborhoods signed a formal complaint with the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC), alleging that they faced “chronic reliability problems” with BGE.

Tell us in comments: Would burying Maryland power lines underground help with power reliability?

; a hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 24, 7 – 10 p.m. in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building.

Resident Cathy Eshmont has led the charge to have the PSC investigate BGE under the name Reliability4HoCo. She gathered the signatures and has recently started a second petition – stating that the PSC needs to put Maryland-licensed utilities on a performance improvement plan and to develop a plan to “go underground,” burying power lines so that they won’t be affected by overgrown trees and severe weather events.

The complaint stemmed from what residents have said were years of power outages unrelated to severe weather. In January, for instance, Karl Yeruk posted on Reliability4HoCo’s Facebook page: “Beautiful, sunny day here in Ellicott City, so why does the power go out on Forest Hill Drive. BGE tells my wife at 8 a.m. that it will be off until 4 p.m., came back on around 1 p.m.”

BGE has implemented an improvement plan which included trimming trees ahead of its four-year schedule in certain neighborhoods and .

Many Patch readers expressed gratitude for BGE and the contracted workers who repaired power lines after last week’s storm, called one of the most damaging in BGE’s 200-year history by the utility.

"I had 5 nights and 6 days without power," Lois Danz wrote.

I do have a radio that was a big help. July 4th 2012 was a holiday to remember. Just when I thought I would melt I heard a noise it was the ceiling fan and then the lamp came on. what a great day. Thanks to all the workers they deserve a great big thanks . .

For residents who say they have power problems regardless of weather conditions, however, the storm reinforced their concerns.

“Why in 2012 are we having to go through this time and time again?” Font Hill resident Gary Stanton asked in a phone interview on Monday, July 2. His power was still out along with hundreds of thousands of BGE customers in Maryland. 

He had just talked to a nearby neighbor, a block away, whose lights were on. 

“He has power, areas around me that have power, this little enclave where I live in Font Hill – we don’t.

“It’s not a question of being angry. It’s a question of 10 years from now, are we still going to be doing this?”

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