Press Release: Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Restores Service to Nearly 9,300 Customers Who Lost Power Resulting from Today's Severe Thunderstorms

Press Release: Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Restores Service to Nearly 9,300 Customers Who Lost Power Resulting from Today's Severe Thunderstorms


Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Restores Service to Nearly 9,300 Customers Who Lost Power Resulting from Today’s Severe Thunderstorms


BGE is working diligently to restore service as safely and quickly as possible to affected customers
Customers should continue to report outages and downed wires by calling 1.877.778.2222


BALTIMORE, Sept. 8, 2012 – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) today announced that it is diligently working to restore service to customers who lost power as a result of the severe thunderstorms that moved through the company’s service area earlier today. The fast-moving storm system brought with it high winds in excess of 60 miles per hour in some areas, heavy rain and frequent lightning. BGE crews were pre-mobilized Saturday afternoon in anticipation of the forecasted storms and are working around-the-clock to restore service as safely and as quickly as possible to the more than 14,900 customers experiencing power outages as of Saturday at approximately 9 p.m. In addition, BGE has restored service to nearly 9,300 customers since the storms began earlier in the day.

“BGE is aggressively restoring service to our customers who lost power as a result of today’s strong thunderstorms, and we will continue to work around-the-clock,” said Jeannette M. Mills, vice president and chief customer officer for BGE. “The storms were widespread throughout our service area, but portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties were particularly hard hit. While our first priority is always the safety of our customers, crews and contractors, we are committed to working as quickly possible to restore service to our customers. Our restoration priorities first focus on public safety such as downed wires, followed by critical infrastructure, including hospitals and 911 centers. Once these issues have been addressed, field assignments are prioritized in a way that restores service to the greatest number of customers at one time. Consideration will also be given to customers who have been out of service the longest. As always, BGE thanks its customers for their patience and understanding.”

High wind and heavy rain can bring whole trees and tree limbs onto power lines and electrical equipment, causing outages. Removing tree debris – a task that must be completed before work can begin to fix damaged electric equipment – is even more time consuming than removing normal tree debris and will extend outage durations. Certain types of work such as repairs requiring the use of bucket trucks cannot be safely performed when the wind exceeds 25 miles per hour. In that case, BGE begins restoring service as soon as it is safe to do.

BGE reminds its customers to report downed wires and outages by calling 1.877.778.2222. Once an outage is reported, there is no need to report it again. However; as additional storm activity is forecasted to affect central Maryland throughout the weekend, customers may experience multiple outages throughout the restoration process.

As a reminder, BGE customers who may be elderly, handicapped or dependent on electricity for medical equipment should always have alternate arrangements in place should they experience an extended power outage. Customers using a generator should follow manufacturer instructions and be sure to locate generators in well-ventilated areas. For more information about BGE storm preparation and how customers can protect their families and property, go to bge.com .

Just as BGE prepares for severe weather and the possibility of power outages, customers should also be prepared and take steps to ensure the safety of their families and property during electric service interruptions. Customers should keep the following items readily available:

Flashlights – not candles

Fresh batteries

Battery operated clock radio

Corded telephone

Fully charged cell phone

Non-perishable foods

Customers also should consider filling the fuel tanks of their vehicles in the event a power outage affects service to neighborhood gas stations. For customers who rely on well water, filling a bathtub with water in advance of severe weather is strongly encouraged.

In addition to monitoring current and approaching weather conditions that could result in service interruptions, BGE regularly conducts emergency training drills during which all aspects of storm-related service restoration are tested. BGE also reviews its Electric Delivery Emergency Response Plan to ensure that storm response procedures are up-to-date and in line with industry standards.

Customers are reminded to stay informed of restoration progress via bge.com , Twitter , Facebook and Flickr .

BGE , headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.2 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,400 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider with approximately $33 billion in annual revenues. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter , YouTube and Flickr .