Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation and Maryland’s largest gas and electric utility. Headquartered in Baltimore, BGE provides service to more than 1.2 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland.
BGE’s electric service territory includes Baltimore City and all or part of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
BGE’s gas service territory includes Baltimore City and all or part of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
Quick Facts
- Service Area: Electric: Approximately 2,300 square miles; Gas: Approximately 800 square miles
- Customers: More than 1.2 million electric customers, more than 650,000 natural gas customers
- Employees: Approximately 3,400
- 2011 Revenues: $2,993.1 million
- 2011 Assets: $6,987.0 million
- Substations: 244
- Distribution & Transmission Power Lines: Approximately 25,000 circuit miles of distribution lines, almost 1,300 circuit miles of transmission lines
- More than 7,100-mile natural gas pipeline network
Founded in 1816, BGE is the nation’s oldest gas utility and among the country’s oldest electric utilities. For nearly 200 years, BGE has been an innovator in meeting the energy needs of central Maryland residents and businesses. Today, the company’s growing array of programs, services and resources is defining the next generation of energy management. BGE believes energy works smarter when it works together with our customers. BGE works to help our customers conserve and better manage their energy and related costs; protect the environment and minimize the impact of our operations; help make our communities vibrant and growing; and to ensure we deliver energy safely and reliably and provide customers with the exceptional service customers deserve.
Investments in Reliability and Innovation
Delivering energy safely and reliability are a core part of our mission. Since 2002, BGE has invested more than $3 billion in our gas and electric transmission and distribution systems to meet the growing service and reliability needs of our customers.
- Infrastructure. We aim to maintain safe systems and to reduce the occurrence and length of outages on our system through rigorous inspection and maintenance programs, as well as various infrastructure improvements.
- Training. We invest in reliability through regular training of our employees and through maintaining emergency-response and storm-readiness plans, which we test with drills throughout the year.
- Smart Grid. We are investing in a leading-edge smart grid program. In 2012, BGE will begin a three-year project to change the electric meters for all BGE residential and small commercial customers. Smart meters are digital meters that allow two-way communication with BGE through a wireless network. As more smart meters are installed and enhanced technologies are put into place, many new features will be available for customers to use, including ongoing usage tracking and bill forecasting and other energy-management tools.
Safety
Safety is one of the highest priorities at BGE. BGE emphasizes safety through comprehensive safety programs for employees and contractors. Our safety outreach program also transcends the workplace and extends to BGE’s customers and the communities.
Environmental Commitment
BGE is working to demonstrate its environmental commitment.
- Customer Programs. BGE's Smart Energy Savers Program® is a suite of offerings designed to help customers reduce energy usage in support of EmPOWER Maryland’s goal of a 15 percent per capita reduction in energy consumption and demand by 2015. BGE customers have achieved an overall energy savings of nearly 900 million kilowatt hours, eliminating the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of nearly 76,000 homes.
- Operations. BGE is committed to protecting the wildlife, forests, plants and waterways in its communities as it provides for our customers' energy needs. In addition, BGE looks for innovative ways within its operations to reduce its impact on the environment. BGE is phasing in biodiesel and electricit vehicles to its fleet. BGE's Spring Gardens natural gas facility includes an array of solar panels.
Community Giving
BGE is dedicated to supporting the communities it serves and where BGE employees also work and live.
- Education. Through BGE's customer engagement and community outreach efforts, it's able to target diverse audiences to educate them about BGE’s programs and services, including gas and electric safety, energy conservation and management, billing and payment information and energy assistance.
- Assistance. BGE's outreach to limited-income customers includes the addition of a variety of communications channels and partnerships with a variety of local government and nonprofit agencies that have direct contact with limited-income households. BGE's outreach has broadened to include agencies that provide services and benefits unrelated to energy assistance such as income tax preparation to spread the word even further. BGE is working to integrate assistance programs with energy efficiency and conservation programs so that limited-income customers can more easily get help paying their bills and reducing their consumption.
- Sponsorships. Finally, BGE employees play an active part in its community support in a number of ways, including contributing significantly to the annual United Way campaign, engaging in countless volunteer activities and participating in blood drives.
