Partial victory won over utility company

Photo: Renee Washington

Public outrage over a proposed 72-percent rate increase by Baltimore Gas & Electric, and the actions of community groups such as the Maryland Coalition to Stop the Rate Hike, forced a special legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly to address the issue on June 13. Renee Washington of the coalition said, “We know these politicians aren’t the friends of poor and working people and the vast majority of them voted for deregulation seven years ago, so we are here to make it clear to the legislature that we want no rate hike.” The legislative session resulted in a reduction of the rate hike to 15 percent. Steven Ceci, a volunteer organizer with the coalition, said, “We do feel the lowering of the rate increase is a partial victory, but we won’t be satisfied until there is no rate increase.”

—WW Baltimore bureau