Governor Martin O'Malley issued this statement today following Friday's Order from the Public Service Commission approving BGE's Smart Grid Initiative and this morning's announcement by the company to proceed with implementation:
"I want to congratulate BGE for their decision to move forward with implementation of its smart grid initiative and accept the $200 million in federal investment it has been awarded to offset the initiative's cost to ratepayers. The project promises to improve the reliability and customer service offered by BGE, further our ability to meet the State's aggressive EmPOWER Maryland goals, and potentially deliver savings to customers."
"The Public Service Commission appropriately balanced these promised benefits with the known risks inherent in an initiative of this magnitude by delaying recovery of the costs of the project until the benefits are realized."