Baltimore Mayor Martin O?Malley on Friday blasted the Public Service Commission for its approval of the BGE rate hike.
“The Public Service Commission?s rubber-stamp approval of the Ehrlich-BGE 72 percent rate hike is deeply disappointing but not surprising,” O?Malley said.
“PSC approved the biggest rate increase in its history in a matter of hours ? with no expert testimony, no cross examination and very little evidence,” O?Malley said.
An O?Malley spokesman said Friday night the Public Service Commission approved the rate hike in a closed door session by a four-to-one vote late Thursday night. The quick turnaround, days before the request made by BGE spokesman Ron Case for a resolution by May 1, stunned consumer advocates who had been requesting more time to evaluate the deal.
“The public service commission proved that they are not interested in protecting consumers,” said Tyson Slucom, director of Citizen Action, a consumer activist group. “The quick decision gives the appearance that they?re firmly on the side of BGE,” he said.
The vote apparently came hours after charges of “genocide” and “civic terrorism” marked the first round of hearings before the Public Service Commission on the BGE rate hike plan. Angry consumers confronted the Public Service Commission board and BGE officials.
BGE spokesman Ron Case had defended the rate increase as necessary to maintain BGE?s financial health, and in the long term guarantee adequate energy supplies at market prices.
“We are already on a negative credit watch,” Case said. “We would like to have this approved by May 1.”
However, opponents say this increase is unwarranted. “I haven?t heard [them] say anything about working families,” said Angela Bethea-Spearman, a state worker. “Gas and electric is going to be cut off and there are going to be fires. This is not the will of the people.”
State Del. Katherine Pugh joined the dissenters, asking the commission directly their opinion of the plan.
