BALTIMORE — Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. (BGE) is asking customers to conserve electricity Monday afternoon and evening to help prevent widespread outages after a power plant unexpectedly disconnected from the utility’s system.
The company said the unplanned disconnection is putting strain on the electric grid. Customers are urged to begin conserving electricity immediately and continue through the evening. BGE is also encouraging residents to prepare for the possibility of a power outage.
“If an outage is necessary, we will make every effort to alert customers in advance,” the utility said in a statement.
BGE has also activated an emergency cycling event for customers enrolled in its PeakRewards Air Conditioning program. Air conditioners will be cycled at 50%, 75% or 100% of their full cycling level for the duration of the event, and customers will not be able to override participation. Those enrolled in the Connected Rewards program may see thermostats automatically adjusted by up to 4 degrees.
Customers with medical or health conditions who require immediate assistance are urged to call the PeakRewards hotline at 1-888-309-PEAK (7325).
Southern Maryland Impact: Calvert County is the only part of Southern Maryland served by BGE. As of 3:51 p.m. Monday, no outages were reported there. The largest concentration of outages remains in Baltimore City and surrounding central Maryland counties.
How to check outage status:
More information on outage preparedness is available at www.bge.com/outages/preparing-for-an-outage/outage-readiness-and-safety.
Following the BGE alert, the Maryland Freedom Caucus issued a statement linking the incident to state energy policy. The group said the substation failure tied to the Brandon Shores Power Plant could result in rolling blackouts and argued that “radical, extremist energy policies” from Maryland Democrats and Gov. Wes Moore are contributing to grid instability.
The caucus urged the governor to:
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Originally published by Thebaynet.