BGE Working to Restore Power as Winter Storm Continues to Affect Central Maryland

BGE Working to Restore Power as Winter Storm Continues to Affect Central Maryland

As a reminder, BGE recently launched a new mobile website and an enhanced outage map <http://outagemap.bge.com/> , where customers can report outages <https://secure.bge.com/Forms/Pages/ReportAnOutage.aspx?FromURL=Controller>  from their mobile devices and check the status of current electric power outages in BGE’s service area, as information is available. 

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Working to Restore Power as Winter Storm Continues to

Affect Central Maryland
 
Restoration of current outages now under way; crews are prepared to respond to potential outages resulting from weakened trees

BALTIMORE, March 6, 2013 – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) <http://www.bge.com/Pages/default.aspx>   today announced that it is working to ensure public safety and restore customers who have lost power as a result of the winter storm that continues to bring wet snow and wind gusts of up to 45 mph through central Maryland. As high winds are forecasted to continue, possibly through Friday morning, the company expects new outages to occur throughout the next few days as trees and tree limbs, weakened by the storm, may come down onto power lines and add to the damage. 

“BGE is working as safely and quickly as possible to restore power to our customers,” said Jeannette M. Mills, vice president and chief customer officer for BGE. “Throughout this process, it’s vitally important that customers report downed wires by calling877.778.2222. Customers should report power outages <https://secure.bge.com/Forms/Pages/ReportAnOutage.aspx?FromURL=Controller>  from mobile phones and devices through the company’s new mobile website at bge.com<http://www.bge.com/Pages/default.aspx>  or by calling 877.778.2222. Once an outage is reported, there is no need to report it again; however, customers experiencing a new outage after power was initially restored should report the new outage.”

More than 2,500 field and support forces are engaged in the restoration effort, with more than 570 out-of-state and contract linemen and support staff assisting or en route from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. As part of BGE’s effort to engage as many employees as possible in storm roles, there are a number of BGE meter readers assisting in storm restoration efforts. As a result, some customers may receive an estimated meter reading in this month’s bill. Customers should be aware that this reading – as well as any associated payments - will be automatically corrected in a subsequent bill.

BGE's restoration priorities are public safety issues and critical facilities such as 911 centers, hospitals and water/sewage treatment centers. Then restoration is generally scheduled so that the greatest number of customers can be restored as quickly and as safely as possible.  

Company and out-of-state crews are working diligently to restore power; however, some work must be delayed until it is safe to perform such as work requiring bucket trucks, which cannot be safely operated with wind speeds at or above 25 miles per hour. Customers should prepare for the possibility of extended power outages in the event that the snowfall causes treacherous road conditions, which may delay crew travel and restoration times. 

As outages become more widespread due to damage caused by this storm, BGE will not be able to provide individual estimated restoration times as it does with less severe storms.  BGE anticipates that an estimated time for restoration of the entire system will not be available until damage assessments are complete and the company works through the first phases of the restoration process to repair the electric system backbone and public safety sites.  In order to limit the understandable frustration that results when the company is unable to restore power by a given time, estimated times for restoration on a feeder and individual customer basis will only become available to customers as BGE works through the damage to its system and the company has high confidence in their accuracy. Even with this precaution, customers are reminded that these timeframes may change as restoration efforts continue and specific outage causes are analyzed.

Customers should visit BGE’s online Storm Center <http://www.bge.com/customerservice/stormsoutages/stormcenter/pages/default.aspx>  for important information on how to stay safe before, during and after a storm.  As a reminder, BGE customers who may be elderly, disabled or dependent on electricity for medical equipment, should always have alternate arrangements in place should they experience an extended power outage. Restoration updates can also be found on BGE’s enhanced power outage map <http://outagemap.bge.com/> , which is available through the mobile and full websites and provides the general location and status of current electric power outages in BGE’s service area. Customers can view affected area(s), the number of customers affected by an outage, estimated time of restoration, if available, and the status of the field crew assigned to repair the issue. Customers can also stay informed by visiting BGE’s social media sites Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/myBGE>  and Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=114351251909317#!/pages/Baltimore-MD/MyBGE/114351251909317> . 

BGE <http://www.bge.com/Pages/default.aspx> , headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.2 million electric customers and more than 655,000 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 2012 revenues of approximately $23.5 billion.