Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Howard County residents testified Tuesday night about their experiences with power outages.
While many of the people testifying about BGE’s reliability in Howard County were familiar faces at Tuesday’s public hearing, some new perspectives came to the forefront, too; particularly the business perspective. “Our business is to help small businesses solve technical problems,” Kristy Mumma said of the Columbia-based company Stewart Technologies, Inc. “But we’re having technical problems of our own due to frequent, unexplained outages.” About 20 people signed up to testify – all in favor of CR134, which would create a resolution on behalf of the County Council, asking the Public Service Commission to initiate a second investigation into BGE’s reliability in Howard County in neighborhoods not mentioned in the investigation currently …
Friday, August 31, 2012
Utility company will use contractor to begin trimming trees after Labor Day.
It’s trimming time for trees in Laurel. Baltimore Gas and Electric will begin trimming trees along 4th and 9th Street in Laurel after Labor Day, the city announced this week. The utility will contract out to Mercer Tree Service Inc. for the trimming. Residents can expect to see bucket trucks along the roadway during the trimming process. Sign up for the Laurel Patch newsletter here and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for instant news updates and community conversations. Trees will be trimmed 6- to 10-feet away from power lines in accordance to BG&E’s four year schedule, according to the city. There also will be some roadway lane closures during the tree trimming. The trimming comes as the Laurel area has suffered from power outages after…
Friday, July 6, 2012
Friday map shows majority of City of Laurel residents have had power restored.
Note: The map of the City of Laurel was updated at 1 p.m. July 6 to reflect current outages. Please note the image only contains information about City of Laurel outages and not for West Laurel, South Laurel, North Laurel, or Maryland City.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
As many in Montgomery and Prince George's counties remain in the dark, group wants to know why it's taking so long.
Officials from AARP Maryland want utility companies held accountable for the lack of communication and slow response time in recovering from the weekend power outages. Although almost 75 percent of Maryland residents have had their power restored, many remain in the dark, including some with the greatest need for power — the elderly. The death toll from the derecho storm and subsequent power outages in Maryland on June 29 has reach eight, according to Gov. Martin O’ Malley. Of the seven deaths, four were heat-related, O’Malley reported Tuesday. He said the elderly were particularly vulnerable. More heat-related deaths are expected as crews slowly restore power to the state, said Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental …
Monday, July 2, 2012
Areas still affected by last week’s storm.
Power in Laurel is slowly returning to homes and businesses left dark by a batch of violent storms that pummeled the region and left more than a million without power. Baltimore Gas and Electric estimated more than 10,000 customers throughout the Laurel area were left without power over the weekend. Large swaths of residences and businesses along Route 198, Route 197, and Route 1 were hard hit Friday night as strong winds, rain and thunder wreaked havoc in the region. The City of Laurel opened cooling centers and used patrol officers to do sweeps of traffic intersections and respond to emergency calls, said Careen Koubek, a spokesperson for the city. On Monday, Mayor Craig Moe declared a state of emergency for the city, following Gov. …
The City of Laurel released a map showing areas in the city that are still without power.
Note: The map of the City of Laurel was updated July 6 to reflect current outages. Please note the image only contains information about City of Laurel outages and not for West Laurel, South Laurel, North Laurel, or Maryland City. Previous Story The City of Laurel is on the mends from a batch of fast moving storms that cut power to roughly 1.5 million residents throughout the region Friday. City officials have released a detailed map showing areas in the city that have had their power restored. Large swaths of the Laurel area were left without power including Route 197, Route 198, and Route 1. As of Sunday and early Monday morning, large sections of the city along Van Dusen Road were still left without power.
Tell us in our poll and in comments how you think Pepco and BG&E performed after Friday night's storm.
In the aftermath of the snowstorm that hit Maryland in January of 2011, Pepco was slammed for poor response time and communication when around 172,000 Maryland residents were left without power for several days. When Hurricane Irene hit later that year, some thought Pepco had improved its techniques but criticized Baltimore Gas and Electric for its poor service. Now, many Maryland residents are facing outages that could last until Friday or beyond due to the violent storm June 29, according to Pepco officials. In 2011, the American Customer Satisfaction Index gave Pepco a rating of 54 out of 100, but this year, that rating climbed to 69. Is the increased rating deserved? Have you been satisfied with BG&E and Pepco's performance and …
Friday, June 29, 2012
City receives complaints of fake Baltimore Gas and Electric reps entering homes.
The City of Laurel is warning residents to be on the look out for individuals entering residential homes claiming to be representatives from Baltimore Gas and Electric Company. The motive for the intrusions is unclear. The city has received complaints from residents that well-dressed individuals are coming to doors and informing residents that BG&E over-charged them on their gas and electric bills and they are due refunds. The individuals are requesting to come into to homes to check the meters and then requesting use of a home phone. They say the residents will receive a refund check. In a statement, Mayor Craig Moe advises residents that BG&E employees do not come to home doors without notice, nor do they request to enter homes or use …
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
BGE offers a demonstration on just how difficult it is for utility workers to repair downed lines and get power restored following a major storm.
At the peak of Hurricane Irene last August, more than 800,000 homes in Maryland were without power. A majority of BGE’s 3,400 employees, along with about 1,000 from out-of-state, worked around the clock for more than a week to restore all of the power. Many customers were patient, while many others grew frustrated after living in the dark for days with no electricity. Veteran BGE workers like Gordon Johnson understood that frustration—he has seen his fair share of hurricanes and blizzards during his 30-year career with the utility company. But he also wants customers to know that restoring power is often not as simple as patching a wire or flipping a switch. “You’re out there in all the elements and what we’re often dealing with is …
Monday, January 23, 2012
Baltimore Gas and Electric met with residents to address outages during Hurricane Irene
Traci M. Radice
8:17 pm on Sunday, August 26, 2012
Public Service Commission called an emergency hearing on Tues., Aug. 28th at 2pm to hear from the utilities as to their smart meter devices and their malfunctions, power surges, and fires. Any concerned citizen should plan to attend: William Donald Schaefer Tower 6 St. Paul St., 16th Floor Baltimore, MD 21202 File a dispute (410) 767-8000 MD Toll Free: 1-800-492-0474 TTY Users call via Maryland … more ›