Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett said he has withdrawn the county from a Maryland investigation into Pepco’s reliability problems, outraging County Council members who said the county needs to push the electric utility to get on the right track. Leggett said he would submit a county report about the county’s problems with Pepco as part of the state Public Service Commission’s investigation of the electric company’s reliability, but the county would not participate in the probe beyond that.
The report, published in February, detailed county residents’ problems with Pepco’s service, especially after several major storms knocked out residents’ power for days. According to the report, power outages cost Montgomery residents between $22.9 million and $114.6 million and businesses between $21.1 million and $211 million.
Many council members said that would be a mistake.
“The cost to the county has been in gazillions,” said Councilwoman Nancy Floreen, D-at large. “How can you justify not being actively engaged?”
Council President Valerie Ervin, D-Silver Spring, said her constituents would not be happy, especially after “years of unreliable service” from Pepco. The county government made a commitment to get Pepco back on the right track, she said, and it needs to follow through.
Taking an active role in the proceedings could cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars, Leggett said. The county issued the report as promised, he said, but taking further action would not help.
Citing 25 years of legal experience, Councilman Roger Berliner, D-Bethesda, disagreed.
If the county doesn’t participate, it won’t be able to influence the decision makers and it won’t be able to file an appeal, he said. If Leggett wants the report to go anywhere, he has to stand behind it, he said.
Pepco officials say they are fixing the problems, pointing to the company’s “reliability enhancement plan” that includes tasks such as trimming trees and replacing old cables.
Berliner has suggested the county begin exploring a county-run electricity provider. “Power to the people,” he said.
