Press Releases

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 Title Description
State’s energy-efficiency programs generate big customer benefits but are undermined by legacy gas programs, new OPC analysis shows (4/16/2024)Open 
Federal agency should act to protect Delmarva customers from flawed power plant auction, says Maryland People’s Counsel (4/12/2024)Open 
Utility bill changes coming because of new cost recovery method for utility-administered efficiency programs (4/10/2024)Open 
Regulators grant OPC motion to remove Pepco ‘climate solutions’ electrification program from rate case (3/5/2024)Open 
In victory for consumers, Maryland Supreme Court concludes telephone sales law applies to retail supplier’s marketing scheme (2/23/2024)Open 
Transmission operator’s proposal to apportion costs for Virginia data centers violates law, Maryland Office of People’s Counsel tells federal agency (2/12/2024)Open 
Baltimore Gas & Electric rate case decision should be revisited, Office of People’s Counsel says (1/18/2024)Open 
Identities of retail energy suppliers selling to energy-assistance households should be public, OPC tells State agency (12/22/2023)Open 
Appellate court rules Public Service Commission should not have dismissed deceptive green marketing complaint against Washington Gas (12/21/2023)Open 
Pepco’s proposed rate hike unjustified, experts say in testimony for Office of People’s Counsel (12/19/2023)Open 
BGE rate case decision overall a disappointment for customers, according to Office of People’s Counsel preliminary analysis (12/15/2023)Open 
Washington Gas rate case decision gives company $10.1 million of $42.5 million requested rate increase (12/15/2023)Open 
Office of People’s Counsel responds to BGE’s arguments related to Baltimore City conduit agreement (12/7/2023)Open 
Pepco’s ‘climate solutions programs’ do not belong in rate case, People’s Counsel tells Public Service Commission (11/30/2023)Open 
Maryland utility customers vulnerable to regulatory gap in oversight of costly transmission projects, Office of People’s Counsel tells federal regulators (11/20/2023)Open 
Regulation of retail energy supply competition in dire need of reform, Office of People’s Counsel tells state regulators (11/8/2023)Open 
Projected customer costs for gas infrastructure increase 60 percent since last year, new Office of People’s Counsel analysis shows (11/6 initial; 11/13/2023 corrected version)Open 
Corporate Raider’s ‘Substantial Influence’ Over Potomac Edison Requires Regulatory Oversight, Office of People’s Counsel Tells Court (10/24/2023)Open 
State regulators cut Potomac Edison’s proposed rate hike nearly in half (10/19/2023)Open 
Utilities’ energy-efficiency program proposals lacking, OPC tells State regulators (10/18/2023)Open 
Federal agency should reject $780 million transmission proposal to address Maryland coal plant’s retirement, OPC protest asserts (9/14/2023)Open 
Columbia Gas’s proposed expansion of gas system replacement program should be rejected, OPC filing asserts (9/5/2023)Open 
BGE’s plan to pay for conduit costly for customers, OPC analysis shows (8/31/2023)Open 
BGE customer gas equipment program to cost, on average, at least $19,000 per house over lifetime, OPC analysis shows (8/30/2023)Open 
Washington Gas’s new five-year pipe replacement plan should be rejected, OPC tells Public Service Commission (8/29/2023)Open 
Washington Gas’s rates should be reduced, not increased by $49.4 million per year, OPC tells regulators (8/28/2023)Open 
Maryland Supreme Court Will Hear OPC’s Appeal of $8 Million Rate Increase (8/17/2023)Open 
Public Service Commission Grants People's Counsel Request to Strike Electrification Plan From Rate Case (8/10/2023)OpenPress Releases
Columbia Gas’ Spending Raises Affordability, Stranded Cost Concerns, OPC Testimony Says (7/27/2023)Open 
BGE Gas Regulators Part of Decades-Long, $15 Billion BGE Spending Plan, OPC Customer Impact Brief Explains (7/12/2023)Open 
People’s Counsel Asks Appellate Court to Reverse 2022 Decision on Utility Green Marketing (7/6/2023)Open 
BGE Proposal to Electrify Homes Has No Place in BGE’s Rate Case, People’s Counsel Tells Public Service Commission (6/20/2023)Open 
BGE’s Rate Plan Would Lead to Massive Customer Rate Increases, OPC Consumer Guide Shows (6/20/2023)Open 
Potomac Edison’s Proposed Distribution Rate Hike of 42% Not Justified, OPC Testimony Says (6/16/2023)Open 
Commission Should Reverse Its Decision That Denies Procedures to Ensure Residential Customers Have a Voice, People’s Counsel Says (6/14/2023)Open 
Decision Closing Investigation Exposes Potomac Edison Customers to Untold Costs and Risks, People’s Counsel Says in Filing (6/5/2023)Open 
Proposed $357 Million Buyout Could Be Windfall for Coal Plant Owner, Deserves Robust Review, People’s Counsel Tells State Agency (5/24/2023)Open 
Energy-Savings Programs Need to Evolve to Meet Climate, Low-Income Needs, People’s Counsel Report Shows (5/5/2023)Open 
Federal guidelines necessary to protect consumers from greenwashing, People’s Counsel tells Federal Trade Commission (4/25/2023)Open 
People’s Counsel Applauds Public Service Commission Ruling on Energy-Efficiency Program Cost Recovery (4/19/2023)Open 
Customer Interests Undermined by Lack of Process at Public Service Commission, People’s Counsel Filing Says (4/13/2023)Open 
People’s Counsel: Commission order on retail supplier a mixed bag (2/23/2023)OpenFebruary 2023
Industry analysis of gas heat pumps seriously flawed, People’s Counsel tells Public Service Commission (2/22/2023)OpenFebruary 2023
People’s Counsel Asks State Regulators to Require Gas Utilities to Plan for Dropping Sales (2/9/2023)OpenFebruary 2023
OPC urges immediate action to protect customers of marketing scheme (2/2/2023)OpenFebruary 2023
People’s Counsel Urges Federal Agency to Remedy Unjust Potential Massive Rate Increase for Maryland’s Customers on the Delmarva Peninsula (1/20/2023)OpenJanuary 2023
Gas utility’s proposal for “green” offering amounts to “greenwashing” that would deceive customers, says People’s Counsel (1/17/2023)OpenJanuary 2023
Gas rates will rise to unsustainable levels as Maryland meets climate goals, new OPC report finds (11/17/2022)OpenNovember 2022
Business as Usual Means Gas Delivery Costs Will Skyrocket, OPC Analysis Finds (10/6/2022)OpenOctober 2022
Low-Income Marylanders at Risk From High Energy Burdens, OPC Report Shows (9/13/2022)OpenSeptember 2022
Federal Agency Agrees With OPC That Delmarva Power Has Not Shown Lawfulness of Proposed Transmission Rate Increase of $13.9 Million (9/7/2022)OpenSeptember 2022
State Regulators Erred by Allowing Washington Gas to 'Self-Certify' Green Marketing Campaign, People’s Counsel Tells Court (9/6/2022)OpenSeptember 2022
Federal Agency’s Proposed Transmission Planning Beneficial, But Reduced Role for Competition Could Cost Customers Billions (8/17/2022)OpenAugust 2022
People’s Counsel Applauds Rejection of Utility Request to End Pandemic Protections for Utility Customers (8/25/2022)OpenAugust 2022
Delmarva Power’s Proposed New Rate Plan Unfair to Customers, Includes $91.7 Million in Unjustified Capital Spending, OPC Says (8/22/2022)OpenAugust 2022
Transparency and Oversight Needed on Federal Grants, Not Deference to Utilities, People’s Counsel Says (7/27/2022)OpenJuly 2022
People’s Counsel: Utilities’ Proposal to End Pandemic Protections for Residential Customers Should Be Rejected (6/21/2022)OpenJune 2022
Siding with OPC, FERC Finds NRG Failed to Show $315 Million in Plant Costs Are Lawful (6/1/2022)OpenJune 2022
People’s Counsel Asks Public Service Commission to Act Quickly to Protect Low-Income Customers From Retail Supplier Price Gouging (5/13/2022)Open 
Maryland People’s Counsel Protests NRG’s FERC Request to Foist Its Power Plant Costs on Utility Customers (5/6/2022)OpenMay 2022
People's Counsel Seeks Transparency on Utility Efforts to Obtain Federal Infrastructure Funding (5/5/2022)OpenMay 2022
Proposal to Integrate Distributed Energy Resources in Regional Market Flawed, OPC Tells Federal Agency (4/1/2022)OpenApril 2022
Washington Gas Fined $1.1 Million for Customer Service Issues Following OPC Complaint (3/17/2022)OpenMarch 2022
Court Reverses PSC on Washington Gas Merger and Rate Issues, in Victory for OPC (3/8/2022)OpenMarch 2022
Following Bribery Scandal, OPC Investigation of FirstEnergy’s Ownership of Potomac Edison Reveals Customer Risks, Need for PSC Action (2/18/2022)Open 
OPC Calls on Maryland Public Service Commission to Address Exelon’s Regional Market Power (1/21/2022)OpenJanuary 2022
Washington Gas’s five-year gas main replacement irreconcilably behind schedule and exceeding costs, OPC tells Public Service Commission (1/10/22)OpenJanuary 2022
OPC Applauds Proceeding on Electric Distribution Planning, Cautions Against Deferring to Utilities (1/18/2022)OpenJanuary 2022
Following OPC’s appeal to federal court, agency reverses course on regional electric market rules that would have cost consumers billions (12/28/21)OpenDecember 2021
Ruling on OPC Request, PSC Says Washington Gas Failed to Provide Adequate Customer Service, Violated Regulations and Merger Conditions (12/23/21)OpenDecember 2021
Electricity Retail Supplier Deceived Consumers, Unlawfully Enrolled Residential Customers, Court Says in Ruling on OPC Complaint (12/17/21)OpenDecember 2021
Federal Commission Agrees With OPC That Delmarva Power Failed to Show Control Center Plan Complies With Law (12/17/2021)OpenDecember 2021
In approving rate increases for Washington Gas, the Public Service Commission failed to meet its statutory responsibilities, OPC tells court (12/15/2021)OpenDecember 2021
To Green the Electric Transmission System, Federal Regulators Should Foster Competition, Reject Anti-Competitive Utility Proposals, OPC Says (11/30/2021)OpenNovember 2021
Office of People’s Counsel Files Complaint Against Washington Gas and Affiliate for Deceptive Green Marketing, Seeks $1 Million in Civil Penalties (11/23/2021)OpenNovember 2021
Agreeing with OPC, Public Service Commission denies Potomac Edison’s request for a $11.2 million rate increase (10/27/2021)OpenOctober 2021
In Response to OPC Request, Public Service Commission Orders Washington Gas to Address Customer-Service Issues and Proposed Civil Penalty (10/18/2021)OpenOctober 2021
Washington Gas Should Pay $1.5 Million in Penalties and Fix Customer Service Issues, OPC Tells PSC (9/30/2021)Open September 2021
Columbia Gas’s proposed ninth rate increase in nine years driven by investor strategy and should be rejected, OPC says (10/5/2021)OpenOctober 2021
More Transparency Needed for the Millions That Customers Pay for Utility Trade Group Dues, OPC Tells Federal Agency (9/2/2021)OpenSeptember 2021
Federal Regulators Rule for OPC in Dispute With Regional Power Pool Over Customer Costs (8/23/2021)OpenAugust 2021
Penalty Issued Against Retail Supplier in Case Brought by Office of People's Counsel (8/27/2021)OpenAugust 2021
Responding to OPC, Federal Agency Finds Pepco and BGE Failed to Demonstrate Proposed Rate Change Followed Law (8/4/2021)OpenAugust 2021
Responding to OPC Request, PSC Opens Investigation Into Potomac Edison’s Relationship With Scandal-Ridden FirstEnergy (7/26/2021)OpenJuly 2021
OPC Wins Partial Victory in Federal Appeals Court, Potentially Saving Utility Customers Millions of Dollars – (7/13/2021)OpenJuly 2021
Divided Public Service Commission Gives Pepco $52.2 Million Rate Increase Over Three Years (6/30/2021) OpenJune 2021
Utility Customers to Receive $83 millions in much-needed energy assistance (6/15/2021)OpenJune 2021
OPC Calls on PSC to Investigate FirstEnergy Scandal, Consider Divestiture (5/11/2021)OpenMay 2021
OPC ASKS PSC to Revisit Decision on Role in Rate-Setting, Acquisitions (5/10/2021)OpenMay 2021
OPC Asks PSC to Enforce Requiring Consumer Refunds (4/26/2021)OpenApril 2021
OPC Climate Mitigation and Environment Bill sent to Governor Hogan (4/13/2021)OpenApril 2021
David S. Lapp Sworn In as New People’s Counsel (4/8/2021)OpenApril 2021
Office of People’s Counsel Wins Case With Big Implications For Maryland Retail Energy Market (4/1/2021)OpenApril 2021
Maryland Office of People's Counsel Testifies That Bill Allowing Maryland Communities to Aggregate Customers Will Benefit Consumers and Environment (2/18/2021)OpenFebruary 2021
Office of People’s Counsel Launches New Toolkit to Help Consumers Pay Energy Bills During Pandemic (1/20/2021)OpenJanuary 2021