Maryland could face blackouts in 2027, utility CEO warns

The CEO of Exelon, parent company of Pepco and BGE, is warning that Maryland and other Northeast U.S. customers may be facing blackouts next year "due to a shortage of power plants," the Financial Times reports. "We came very close this past winter to having to curtail power for about 400,000 customers on some of the coldest days of the year," Calvin Butler told the FT. "And it's only getting worse." 

Electrical grid operator PJM, which supplies power to Pepco and BGE customers, reported a 6.5 gigawatt deficit last December. That deficit is anticipated to increase tenfold over the next decade, if more generation capacity is not added to the system.

Among the obvious causes of the failure to generate adequate power was Maryland elected officials' radical forced shutdown of 8 power plants statewide. But Butler brought up another devastating critique of Maryland legislators in his interview with the FT. It turns out that Exelon actually wants to construct new power plants in Maryland, but is being actively blocked from doing so by the state's limits on power plant ownership by utilities. In fact, legislators allowed two bills that would have allowed Exelon to move forward on new plants to die in committee.

Butler told the FT that legislators seem to be living in a different reality from the energy crisis Maryland is experiencing right now. "[R]ight now they don't perceive it as a crisis," Butler lamented. He said he is more optimistic that Delaware and New Jersey will update their rules on power plant ownership.

Pepco tells Maryland customers, "It's not us"

The most recent two U.S. presidents have had to get used to having their likeness slapped onto gas pumps via "I did that!" stickers, when their policy decisions have led to rising gas prices. Less eager to take credit for exploding electricity bills is Pepco, which is once again taking pains to inform customers that government is indeed the problem. "Higher energy bills can be challenging, and we want you to understand what's driving those changes," the Exelon-owned utility explained in a message to ratepayers with this month's bill. And explain they do, but not as extensively as they should, requiring us to employ the Annapolis Anger Translator (AAT) for full disclosure.

First culprit on the list is the regional grid operator PJM. Pepco notes that PJM "is increasing electricity supply prices for our area. Pepco does not generate electricity or set these prices — we pass these charges through directly to customers with no markup. These increases are due to factors such as higher demand and tight energy supply."

Using the AAT, we can expand on this to learn that the actual electricity rates paid by consumers in Maryland are set by the Maryland Public Service Commission, a body appointed by...whoops!...the governor of Maryland, and approved by the Democratic-controlled Maryland State Senate. 

Why is there a "tight energy supply?" Perhaps because Maryland elected officials forced the closure of 8 power plants across the state. As a result, Maryland itself can no longer generate enough power to supply the demands of residents and businesses, and is now forced to import electricity from out-of-state at inflated boardwalk prices.

Pepco also highlights the EmPOWER MD surcharge that appears on your monthly bill. Like many other "sneak taxes," elected officials hope that you will assume these taxes, fees, and surcharges are being levied by the service provider, not your corrupt leaders. The reality is that this surcharge was levied by the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis. It is a Karl Marxian Communist initiative of the highest order. Your hard-earned money goes into a slush fund used to pay for "green" upgrades to poor people's homes. From each according to his abilities...well, you get the idea.

Not mentioned is the latest hoax: data centers, the latest pass-the-buck punching bag for politicians trying to divert public attention from their direct role in the affordability crisis. No, data centers in Maryland are not the reason your Pepco bill keeps going up. It's a boogeyman far more familiar to you: your unfriendly neighborhood elected official. The call is indeed coming from inside the house.

Maryland 2025 utility bills increase under Wes Moore, MD Gen. Assembly plan

"We helped lower utility bills," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) declared in a New Year's Eve video recapping the 2024 legislative "accomplishments" of his office and colleagues in the Maryland General Assembly. As Maryland utility customers are beginning to realize as 2025 begins, Moore lied. Pepco has just informed customers that, beginning this month, their electric bills will be increasing by at least 5%. The reasons? Laws passed by our elected officials in Annapolis.

While our elected officials try to hide new taxes and fees by having businesses collect them, such as bag taxes, Pepco has been upfront in their billing communications about government being the reason for the new charges and increases. In their message to customers, Pepco cites the new "EmPOWER MD" surcharge of 4% that was rammed through the legislature and signed by Moore in 2023. Moore and those in the legislature who supported the increased surcharge to energy utilities knew full well that the amount would be passed on directly to utility customers. This is theft, not "efficiency."

A second reason Pepco cites is that it is facing a 1% increase in its supply costs, a direct result of "supply and demand by generator plants." Why is the supply of electricity down? Because the same Maryland legislature has ordered the closure of not one, not two, but eight coal-fired power stations across the state over the last 13 years. With AI, data centers, and electric vehicles contributing to an all-time high in energy demands, Maryland is trending in the opposite direction of dwindling supply and rising costs.

In claiming to have lowered residents' utility bills, Gov. Moore lied. His claim would earn Four Pinocchios, if The Washington Post were to fact check our local elected officials' frequent false claims. They don't. Kudos to Pepco for telling the truth.

Pepco makes donation to Montgomery College

Pepco has made a donation to Montgomery College, as part of a $650,000 package of donations to local community colleges and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The money will go to workforce development in the energy field, teacher training and scholarships, the Exelon-owned utility announced in a press release. Montgomery College has campuses in Rockville, Germantown and Takoma Park.

“We hope this funding helps open the door to educational opportunities that all too often are just a dream for many young people within our communities,” Rodney Oddoye, Senior Vice-President of Governmental, External and Regulatory Affairs for Pepco Holdings, said in a statement. “Through our partnerships with local community colleges, HBCUs, and workforce development programs like the DC Infrastructure Academy, we are not only expanding the possibilities for our youth, we are building the talent pool for the future energy workforce.”

2 power outages in Colesville

Some Colesville residents are waking up in the dark this morning. There are two power outages in the neighborhood around Meadowood Park. Pepco says it has a crew on the site of one south of the park, and that power will be restored there by 11:00 AM. A second, smaller outage will be restored by noon, the utility reports.

Pepco work closes one lane on Wayne Ave. at Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring (Photos)

Pepco is working on Wayne Avenue in downtown Silver Spring. Utility vehicles are blocking one lane of Wayne at Georgia Avenue. The Pepco outage map shows no power outages in the area at this time.

STORMS KNOCK DOWN WIRES, KNOCK OUT POWER IN ASPEN HILL, GLENMONT, SILVER SPRING

Wires were reported down and power out in the vicinity of Bel Pre Road and Big Bear Court in Aspen Hill this evening. Pepco estimates restoration by 9:00 PM tonight there.

Three small outages near Georgia Avenue and Randolph Road in Glenmont are forecast to take a bit longer to fix, with power not expected back near Glenallen Avenue and Randolph until noon tomorrow. Another small outage in Kemp Mill has a 6:00 AM restoration time.

Two other small outages are currently reported in southern Wheaton, and west of Four Corners.

The largest outages are north of Leisure World around Norbeck Road and the ICC. I've also received a report of storm/wind damage within Leisure World.

STORMS CAUSE POWER OUTAGES IN SILVER SPRING, ASPEN HILL

A storm with particularly-violent lightning left many without power last night through this morning in eastern Montgomery County.

Affected areas include Woodside Park, Sligo Creek Parkway, White Oak, Fairland and the Bel Pre area of Aspen Hill. Pepco projects power being restored in all of these areas by later today, but some were still under evaluation as of 1:00 AM.

STORM KNOCKS OUT POWER IN ASPEN HILL, LAYHILL, KEMP MILL/WHEATON AREAS - POWER OUTAGE UPDATE

Aspen Hill found itself in the path of a violent thunderstorm Sunday night, which left debris and significant power outages in the area. About an hour ago, the state of Maryland was warning drivers of tree debris in the right lane of southbound Georgia Avenue, near Bel Pre Road.

Over 300 Pepco customers are currently without power in Aspen Hill. Pepco crews are reportedly on the scene, and power restoration is estimated for 2:00 AM. A smaller outage near Flint Rock Road should be fixed by 1:00 PM Monday afternoon, Pepco says at this hour.

Another outage off Layhill Road, around Barrie Campus Drive, is currently under evaluation by Pepco, with restoration estimated at 3:00 AM this morning.

There is also a sizable outage in the Kemp Mill/Springbrook Forest area of Wheaton. Those are near Hermleigh Road (6 AM estimate), Stonington Place (12 PM), and Lovejoy Street (3 AM).

STORM DAMAGE UPDATE

Pepco crews were working hard on the Fourth of July, and had a big job on Georgia Avenue in downtown Wheaton. Two southbound lanes of Georgia were closed yesterday morning near the El Fogón de Wheaton restaurant, as workers replaced a dangling utility pole with a new one. The roar of generators and engines mixed with the metallic clang of a jackhammer as drivers maneuvered past the scene in the single southbound lane.

Traveling the area, I found a massive, uprooted tree collapsed on the property of the soon-to-be-demolished office building at Georgia and Blueridge Avenue in Wheaton. Further up in the Glenmont/Aspen Hill, remnants of a tree were being worked on in front of a Georgia Avenue house. I also saw what was left of at least one fallen tree along the Forest Glen on-ramp to the Capital Beltway in Silver Spring.

Fortunately, all traffic signals I encountered were operational, and power outages were greatly reduced last night, down from thousands when the July 3 storm hit.

Pepco truck on Georgia Avenue

A man prepares to be lifted
in a cherry picker bucket as
the leaning utility pole looms
over Georgia Avenue

Georgia dropped to two lanes,
and then to one at the
scene south of University Blvd.

The replacement pole awaited
installation on a flatbed Pepco
truck down the block

Down to one lane on
Georgia Avenue

SILVER SPRING/WHEATON/ASPEN HILL/GLENMONT POWER OUTAGE UPDATE

Dozens of customers are without power around Silver Spring and Wheaton tonight. Less than 5 Pepco customers are in the dark off Georgia Avenue just south of the Matthew Henson State Park in the Aspen Hill-Glenmont area. Other small outages are being reported off of Connecticut Avenue, south of Veirs Mill Road, in Montgomery Knolls, along New Hampshire Avenue near Notley Road, and in the Glen Haven and southern Kemp Mill areas of Wheaton. The greatest number of outages are in the Glenmont Forest vicinity.

Pepco's current estimate for restoration of power to these folks is midnight.

POWER OUTAGES NEAR ASPEN HILL, LEISURE WORLD

Electrical storms passed through the area Wednesday night, but as of early this morning, 2 small power outages were being addressed by Pepco. One was in the Connecticut Avenue Estates/Green Wood Knolls area of Wheaton, near Aspen Hill and Glenmont. The second was in the vicinity of Leisure World.

Both outages affected 5 or less customers each, according to Pepco, and were scheduled to be fixed by this morning.

TRANSFORMER FAILURE CAUSES POWER OUTAGES IN SILVER SPRING, ASPEN HILL

A transformer failure has knocked out power to a handful of Pepco customers in the vicinity of 2nd Avenue and Cameron Street in downtown Silver Spring. Pepco estimates power will be restored by 4:00 AM.

Several customers are also in the dark in Aspen Hill, in a neighborhood off of Arctic Avenue. That outage has a 3:00 AM restoration time, according to Pepco.

POWER OUTAGES IN ASPEN HILL, SILVER SPRING, BURNT MILLS HILLS

Several Pepco customers are without power in Aspen Hill, primarily in the English Manor area. Those outages are expected to be restored within the hour, according to Pepco.

A much larger outage in the Woodside Park area of Silver Spring has about 300 customers in the dark, and is expected to be fixed by 10:00 PM tonight. One around Mansfield Road could be out until 11:00 PM, Pepco says.

Alas, those in the Burnt Mills Hills area of White Oak may have to wait until 2:00 AM for power.

MASSIVE POWER OUTAGE IN LONG BRANCH AREA OF SILVER SPRING

Here's a big one folks. I think this may be the one I had just heard about. 1818 Pepco customers just lost power in the Long Branch area of Silver Spring, between Indian Spring Drive and Gilbert Place, west of University Boulevard. It spreads as far west as Highland View.

Pepco has assigned crews to respond to these outages, but the cause is not yet known. The utility expects power to be restored in Long Branch by 3:00 AM this morning.

A smaller outage was just reported near Indian Spring Drive and University Boulevard. Pepco has a longer timetable for that one - 1:00 PM this afternoon.