Ken Rock: Marylanders deserve real solutions to high utility bills

Ken Rock (back row, left) with other Maryland Just Power Alliance leaders at a rally in August at the Public Service Commission opposing Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE)’s proposed rate increase.

As a community advocate in the Maryland Just Power Alliance, it struck me how out-of-touch Exelon CEO Calvin Butler came off trying to justify his company’s exorbitant rate increases in a recent interview with the Baltimore Sun (Exelon chief opens up about Maryland’s energy crisis). 

At a time when utility bills are only going up, Marylanders deserve real solutions to high bills, not a CEO trying to justify his company’s greed, and his big paycheck.

As Exelon profits, customers like us are left with the bill. My own electric bill rose by 50% in the past 2 years.

Instead of taking accountability, Exelon wants to point fingers. But we can see right through their arguments.

Exelon Corporation, the parent company of Baltimore Gas & Electric, made $396 million in profits this past quarter thanks to BGE’s wasteful spending on methane gas pipelines. And who pays? Customers like us.

And regarding the CEO's argument about ranking fourth in national reliability: reliability does not justify excessive spending. Reliability is no excuse for unnecessarily burdening families.

I came to a rally recently with dozens of other everyday people in the Maryland Just Power Alliance and our partners. We protested BGE’s currently proposed $156 million rate hike which would raise our electricity bills by $8 per month, while they ask for another profit increase. BGE’s guaranteed profit margins of nearly 10% are unacceptable given how Marylanders are struggling with the cost of living.

We’re calling on the Public Service Commission (PSC) to hold BGE accountable and make sure Maryland doesn’t guarantee outrageous profits at the cost of ratepayers. We’ll be continuing to speak up until they do so.

Sincerely,

Ken Rock

Ken Rock is a leader in PATH and the Maryland Just Power Alliance on the climate equity team.