WASHINGTON – Maryland’s utilities will have to report on how they spent their summer cleaning up after the derecho that struck on June 29.
Under Maryland law, the utilites must turn in detailed storm reports to the Maryland Public Service Commission within 30 days of the end of the storm.
Pepco, BGE, Potomac Edison and SMECO all have to turn in those reports. Pepco is under intense scrutiny after the storms, since some of its customers waited one week for the lights to go back on while the company was asking for rate hikes in Maryland and D.C.
The Public Service Commission of Maryland, which regulates the utilities, is itself under intense scrutiny after granting Pepco an $18 million rate increase.
The PSC cited the need to maintain basic safety benchmarks in granting the increase. Pepco had asked for a $68 million boost.
In its response to the PSC’s denial of the bulk of that rate hike, Pepco issued a statement saying its efforts to improve service and infrastructure could suffer.
A series of hearings to be held by the PSC will allow the public to weigh in on how it felt the utilities did. The PSC will travel to Montgomery County for an evening hearing Aug. 7 and hold another hearing in Prince George’s County Aug. 8.
The hearings will be held in:
- Rockville: Montgomery County Council Building, 3rd floor auditorium, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.
- Prince George’s County: Prince George’s County Community College, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow Kate Ryan and WTOP on Twitter.
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