Group decries utility regulatorsÂ’ cap on rates

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - Helping small businesses deal with higher electricity rates could come at the expense of larger businesses.

So says a group of commercial and industrial electric customers that challenged state utility regulators, who approved a cap on rates for 17,000 Maryland businesses May 29.

The Maryland Public Service Commission is requiring many of the state's small commercial customers to transition to a new utility rate by June. That transition, combined with rising energy costs, could levy a 40 percent increase in electric rates on businesses in service areas for Baltimore Gas & Electric, Delmarva Power & Light Co., and Allegheny Power.

The PSC is capping the increase at 15 percent for the companies from June to August. To help fund the rate cap, the PSC will require all commercial and industrial electric customers to pay an increase in distribution rates, a roughly 1 percent to 3 percent increase in their overall electric bills, during that time.