Published August 11, 2026 at 6:40 PM EDT

Baltimore City officials and energy advocates rallied outside of BGE’s headquarters on Tuesday to protest the utility’s $156 million rate increase request, which is currently in front of the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) for consideration.

If the entirety of the request is approved, BGE electric customers could see an average monthly bill increase of $8 beginning next year.

The PSC will spend the next several months hearing testimony from BGE, the Office of People’s Counsel (OPC) – an independent state agency that advocates for utility customers – and other stakeholders as it decides how much of BGE’s rate hike request to approve.

“At the end of the month, $8 might make or break somebody who is struggling to make ends meet,” said Ricarra Jones with Service Employees International Union (SEIU). “So, before asking anybody to pay even one more dollar, the PSC should make BGE prove that every single dollar it's already collecting is being spent efficiently.”

In its release announcing the rate increase request for electric customers, BGE characterized the figure as the minimum level of investment it believes is necessary to maintain a “safe and reliable” system.

But Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen argues the utility should not be raising customer rates as it continues to make record profits.

“Over the past two years, BGE has made over a billion dollars. That is a billion with a B. Yet, their message is always the same: We need more,” Cohen said. “We will make our voices heard at the PSC's public hearings and demand an end to the greed and gluttony.”

Cohen expressed optimism around a peaceful pressure campaign, noting last year he delivered 7,000 petitions to the commission in protest of BGE’s multi-million dollar reconciliation request.

The PSC ultimately decided to cut BGE’s request in half.

Cohen also pointed out Peco, another Exelon-owned utility based in Pennsylvania, withdrew its rate hike request in April following public backlash.

“Today, we are telling the Public Service Commission that we've had enough. Enough of choosing between keeping the lights on or keeping food on the table,” Cohen said. “We urge everyone to sign our petition, show up at hearings, and demand that the PSC tell BGE enough is enough.”

One of the main points of contention within BGE’s proposal is raising its return on equity from its current 9.5% to 10.4%.

Emily Scarr, senior advisor at consumer advocate nonprofit Maryland PIRG, says while she’s not against the utility making a “reasonable profit,” she argues BGE’s service has been failing customers while its earnings have been growing exponentially.

“That high profit rate, combined with increased spending, is why their profits have skyrocketed from $147 million in 2010 to $570 million in 2025. And guess what? They are already on track to beat that record in 2026,” Scarr said.

Immediately following the rally, the PSC held its first hearing on BGE’s rate case to establish a schedule for the coming months.

Various stakeholders filed to be intervenors in the rate case during the hearing, including Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), a nonprofit dedicated to fighting climate change.

Intervenors are outside parties that, if approved by the PSC, can formally join a rate case to testify on the increase request.

CCAN specifically is looking to provide insight on how well BGE is complying with recent legislative mandates, like the Maryland Next Generation Energy Act of 2025.

BGE’s legal counsel Daniel Hurson requested CCAN’s intervention request be rejected, arguing any insight the advocacy organization may have should already be covered by testimony from OPC.

But Commissioner Bonnie Suchman pushed back.

“The more information I have, the better I am able to assess the arguments of the parties,” Suchman said, asking Chairman Kumar Barve to approve CCAN’s request to intervene. “If this entity can help us to get to that goal [of just and reasonable rates], I would like to see them in the case as an intervenor.”

Barve ultimately accepted CCAN’s petition.

Hearings will proceed over the next several months, and the PSC is expected to deliver a decision on the rate hike by the end of January.