civil and public service

If Mr. Frosh and Mr. Rosapepe would have been successful in their bid to compel the Public Service Commissioner to impose these huge fines, who would have ultimately paid for these fines? We the customers. That's right! Just like the banks after the "mortgage meltdown" in 2008, Pepco and BGE would have scurried to find ways to recoup their losses by way of increased rate hikes through their customers

"Disappointing" is how District 21 Sen. James Rosapepe, who represents Laurel, described the Public Service Commission's assessment of the utility companies' response to the derecho storm that hit the area at the end of June. In an order released Feb. 27, the PSC found some fault with the area utility companies' response to the June 29 storm — which left more than one million residents without power, many for several days — but they did not issue the stiff fines that Rosapepe wanted.

State regulators investigating the widespread, long-lasting outages from the derecho windstorm last summer ordered Wednesday that Maryland utilities improve reliability.

With less than a week to go until the federal government's March 1 deadline to reach an agreement avoiding a set of spending cuts known as sequestration, the local business community is in the dark about its potential impact.

State regulators Friday approved a customer rate increase for Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., though not as much as the utility had asked for.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Wednesday morning spoke of the city's health care and infrastructure problems as she presented a 10-year financial plan to an audience of about 100 at the Walters Art Museum.

GOP pension reform

Sen. Ben Cardin had a simple request of researchers at the National Institutes Health looking for ways to defend their funding from looming budget cuts: "Put a face on this."

Republicans in the House of Delegates outlined a series of proposals Tuesday that they contend will shore up the state employees pension system while cutting the risk that taxpayers will be left on the hook for losses.

This type of conduct is common among elected officials, but the applicable rules are vague and rarely enforced

Synergics Wind Energy, which built Maryland's second wind project along a mountain ridge near the West Virginia border, is seeking permits to erect 24 turbines in Garrett County.

SECI credit union offers scholarships for families of Maryland state employees

President Obama begins his second term with a solid series of accomplishments related to the federal workforce, but with more crucial questions facing federal employees than at any time in the past four years.

Even as Congress and the White House appeared at a standoff over the fiscal cliff last month, lawmakers and the president were able to agree on at least one thing: an update of the Hatch Act.

Baltimore city agencies previously attacked energy costs with a series of loosely connected programs funded by a patchwork of grants. But in several months Baltimore will receive its first infusion from a three-year, $52.9 million award for energy innovation, and the process of winning that money transformed scattered programs into what the city thinks will be a much broader and more effective effort.

Baltimore-area households have 10 different "green power" plans to choose from, selling electricity generated by wind turbines. Many offer rates lower than the standard fossil-nuclear mix provided by BGE.

Gov. Martin O'Malley released a $37.3 billion spending plan Wednesday that for the first time in recent years contains no drastic cuts or proposed tax increases.

Budget gets good reviews from fiscal leaders

In a nod to a small but vocal opposition, Maryland utility regulators say they will give energy customers an option on smart meters — but they haven't decided yet whether that option will be an opt-out. If so, it won't be free.

State regulators considering Baltimore Gas and Electric Co.'s request for higher rates will hear this week and next from the people least likely to agree: BGE's ratepayers.

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. customers with opinions about the utility's request for higher rates can air them at public hearings beginning Monday.

Maryland's state pension director says columnist Marta Mossburg uses unrealistic assumptions about the system's viability and ignores the effect of recent reforms.

Government employees treated unfairly by Maryland labor law

Maryland's utility regulator Friday criticized a decision that could alter electricity bidding rules in the region, saying the change would hurt consumers.

Hearings begin Monday in a case that will decide whether Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. customers can expect higher distribution rates next year.

PointClickSwitch.com was founded two years ago by a trio of real estate development professionals in Baltimore who saw a need to offer a website that allows easy price comparison — and bill-switching — for Maryland residents.

Travelers gripe about having to remove shoes while going through airport security. But imagine being the Transportation Security Administration screener who has to deal with thousands of grumpy passengers daily or must rummage through strangers' dirty underwear to look for items that could blow up a plane.

Cost containment, tax increases and other changes put Maryland's budget in a stronger position than it has been in for years.

Some Howard County farmers are up in arms over development rights. They say a new bill before the County Council that would limit the use of septic systems would destroy the collateral they rely on when borrowing money to run their farms.

Labor leaders cheered Tuesday's re-election of President Barack Obama, yet with no significant congressional changes — particularly in the House — they will fight the same battles.

The $113.5 million that Exelon Corp. agreed to make available for innovative projects — a condition of regulatory approval for its purchase of Constellation Energy — was awarded Thursday to groups planning to help low-income customers, small businesses and others decrease their energy bills.

Wow, what a sacrifice the rest of us make for that economic growth.

You can't blame federal workers if they're feeling like a punching bag for politicians these days.

Keeping your opinions to yourself at work might not be easy in today's super-charged political climate.

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company on Thursday, Oct. 18, announced that it will begin conducting "routine" tree and vegetation pruning along a 115,000-volt transmission line on Cromwell Bridge Road that serves 50,000 Towson area customers in late October.

More than 50 people came in support and opposition of the controversial James Run development project during a public hearing before the Harford County Council meeting Tuesday evening.

With widespread budget cuts on the horizon, Social Security beneficiaries will soon get a preview of how customer service can be affected under a more austere federal government.

Former state Sen. Clarence M. Mitchell III died Thursday at age 72, according to published reports.

Gov. Martin O'Malley is proposing a measured, balanced approach to preventing the kinds of massive blackouts Marylanders experienced after the derecho.

The Howard County Council is the first county legislative body in the state to request the Maryland Public Service Commission to investigate electric power reliability in certain areas of Howard County and the first to institute a tax credit to encourage property owners to make their homes more accessible to seniors and persons with disabilities.

The mother of Yeardley Love, the University of Virginia lacrosse player who was murdered by her boyfriend, is launching a new campaign against partner violence.

Harford County has lost four valuable public servants in the past several days, and the ceremonies that honor their collective commitment to the betterment of society also serve to remind the rest of us how valuable the calling of public service is.

District 1 candidates David Murray and Zabrina Epps are preparing for the Nov. 6 Board of Education elections, with campaign activities in the district that includes Laurel.

With baby boomers hitting retirement age, federal agencies expect challenging years ahead in grooming the next crop of leaders, managing heavier workloads, and attracting skilled professionals to work for the government, according to a recent survey of federal executives.