2000 BGE Customers Benefits from Upgrades to Prevent Power Loss

Baltimore Gas & Electric customers have things to worry about whenever a storm hits their area. In addition to any other concerns that they may have about the damage to their homes and lives, they have to worry about being without power. However, BGE is trying to make changes that will result in fewer power outages for their customers. Changes that they are already in the process of implementing should result in improved service and fewer outages for at least 2000 Harford County customers in the near future.

The actions that BGE have taken or plan to take in the immediate future include:

o $1 million investment in new equipment. This is both above and underground equipment. The main purpose of this investment is short-term relief from the outage problem while the entire system is being upgraded.

o Cable in the service area will be replaced.

o A new transformer will be installed.

o A new circuit is to be created. The purpose of these changes is to allow for load increases to be managed efficiently without having to actually send a crew out to the area. This reduces the amount of time necessary to react to a possible outage, either preventing it or making its duration shorter.

BGE is currently in the design and permitting stage of an upgrade plan that will cost $5 million but should result in significantly reduced outages during storms in their service area. There is a clear need for such updates considering that there were nine power outages just this summer alone and that some of them lasted many hours.

Source: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-08-02/news/bs-md-ha-power-outages-20110802_1_outages-bge-kevin-l-bernhard