Happy New Year and Welcome On behalf of the Governmental and External Affairs team at BGE, Happy New Year and welcome to our returning members and those who are embarking on your first year of service. With the start of every New Year there is a time for both reflection and renewal. BGE and its 3,400 employees have much to be proud of in 2014. We made great strides in our efforts to develop relationships with minority, women and veteran-owned businesses with more than $150 million spent last year. As a result, The Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council recognized BGE as its “Corporation of the Year.” BGE also continues to be a premier provider of safe and reliable energy. Due in part to reliability investments — such as Electric Reliability Investment (ERI) initiative — and sharing of best practices with other Exelon utilities, BGE achieved its best year in electric service reliability in 2014. Investments like these helped us reduce both the average frequency and duration of power interruptions by 25% each over the average performance of the prior three years. In addition, through Operation Pipeline, part of the Strategic Infrastructure Development and Enhancement (STRIDE) program, BGE has been modernizing the natural gas systems in more than 40 neighborhoods. Looking to the New Year, the Governmental and External Affairs team remains committed to partnering with you to continue efforts to provide value to our customers, our communities and the state of Maryland. Happy New Year, Alexander G. Núñez, BGE Vice President Governmental & External Affairs Volume 2, Issue 1 January 2015 Common Ground State Affairs John Quinn | 410.470.1215 [email protected]Misty Allen | 410.269.5195 [email protected]Allyson Black | 410.269.5286 [email protected]Local Affairs Bonnie Johansen | 410.269.5282 [email protected]Baltimore, Cecil and Harford Co.’s Mike Fowler | 410.269.5279 [email protected]Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s Co.’s Linda Foy | 410.470.4043 [email protected]Baltimore City Brittany Jones | 410.470.8482 [email protected]Anne Arundel and Calvert Co.’s BGE in the Community - 2014 Baltimore Heart Walk More than 1,000 BGE employees, family and friends registered to raise awareness for heart disease at the Greater Baltimore Heart Walk held on Nov 2. Employees came out in record numbers to support the American Heart Association, the first charitable organization of BGE’s “Cause Champion” initiative where employees rally around a specific cause each year. This year’s Heart Walk was chaired by BGE CEO Calvin G. Butler Jr. With nearly $1.5 million raised, $330,000 from BGE’s fundraising efforts, last year’s walk is one of the most successful walk events to-date.
Transcript
Happy New Year and WelcomeOn behalf of the Governmental and External Affairs team at BGE, Happy New Year and welcome to our returning members and those who are embarking on your first year of service. With the start of every New Year there is a time for both reflection and renewal.
BGE and its 3,400 employees have much to be proud of in 2014. We made great strides in our efforts to develop relationships with minority, women and veteran-owned businesses with more than $150 million spent last year. As a result, The Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council recognized BGE as its “Corporation of the Year.”
BGE also continues to be a premier provider of safe and reliable energy. Due in part to reliability investments — such as Electric Reliability Investment (ERI) initiative — and sharing of best practices with other Exelon utilities, BGE achieved its best year in electric service reliability in 2014. Investments like these helped us reduce both the average frequency
and duration of power interruptions by 25% each over the average performance of the prior three years. In addition, through Operation Pipeline, part of the Strategic Infrastructure Development and Enhancement (STRIDE) program, BGE has been modernizing the natural gas systems in more than 40 neighborhoods.
Looking to the New Year, the Governmental and External Affairs team remains committed to partnering with you to continue efforts to provide value to our customers, our communities and the state of Maryland.
Happy New Year,
Alexander G. Núñez, BGE Vice President Governmental & External Affairs
BGE in the Community - 2014 Baltimore Heart Walk More than 1,000 BGE employees, family and friends registered to raise awareness for heart disease at the Greater Baltimore Heart Walk held on Nov 2. Employees came out in record numbers to support the American Heart Association, the first charitable organization of BGE’s “Cause Champion” initiative where employees rally around a specific cause each year. This year’s Heart Walk was chaired by BGE CEO Calvin G. Butler Jr. With nearly $1.5 million raised, $330,000 from BGE’s fundraising efforts, last year’s walk is one of the most successful walk events to-date.
When it comes to describing BGE, you’ve heard the numbers before: nearly 200 years old, 3,400 employees, 2,300 square mile service territory, 1.2 million electric customers and 655,000 gas customers. But here’s a new number: $3.81 billion!
That impressive number represents the economic output generated by BGE’s general operations in 2013. These numbers were calculated by the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore (EAGB), which conducted a study on behalf of BGE to estimate the company’s economic contributions to the region. EAGB is a regional economic development partnership comprised of
business executives, elected government officials and leaders from higher education.
“BGE is more than just a pipes and wires company. We are an essential contributor to our state’s economy,” said Ammanuel Moore, economic development manager. “Through more than a billion dollars in procurement, energy management programs, charitable giving and tax revenues, BGE is an economic engine for Maryland. This report quantifies BGE’s value and helps explain how BGE is vested in working with all stakeholders to find ways to improve Maryland’s competitiveness.”
Other key findings in the EAGB study:
• There is an increase of 1.86 jobs for every direct job supported by BGE’s general operations. That’s 8,686 jobs!
• Energy management programs saved customers $79 million in 2013 and supported 764 jobs.
• For every dollar of the $3.57 million donated to local nonprofits in 2013, an additional 53 cents of output was generated.
• BGE paid more than $371 million in direct, indirect and induced state and local taxes in 2013.
For more check out our Powering Maryland’s Economy video!
Reliability Corner – High Wire ActBGE is dedicated to continually improving the reliability of its delivery systems. Did you know that BGE contracts with specially trained helicopter teams to maintain hard-to-access power lines and fixtures?
These aerial performances help BGE keep the most critical sections of more than 10,500 miles of overhead power lines in good working order. That’s in addition to the approximate 16,000 miles of underground electric lines we maintain.
What else does BGE do to deliver safe and reliable power?
• BGE uses infrared imaging technology for early detection of potential faults in power lines and equipment. • BGE invests more than $30 million each year to carefully cut back or remove trees that threaten power lines. • BGE also replaces more than a thousand utility poles each year. To learn more visit BGE.COM/Reliability.
Contact BGE:Gas or Electric Emergencies ..........................................................................................................................................1.800.685.0123
Outage Reports ......................................................................................................................... 1.877.778.2222 or online at BGE.COM
Special Needs Customers .............................................................................................................................................1.800.685.0123
Billing or General Inquiries Residential..................................................................................................................................................................1.800.685.0123 Business ....................................................................................................................................................................1.800.265.6177
Elected Official Resource Center ..............................................................................................................BGE.COM/CommonGround
This is Common Ground, a BGE newsletter for public officials of our region.
Programs to Help Customers in NeedWhile the holiday season brings much joy and merriment, we know this time of year can also bring on a great deal of stress. If you know of a BGE customer who is having difficulty paying their gas and electric bills, BGE may be able to help. Below are just a few of the many programs available.
Budget Billing lets customers spread out their BGE bills evenly throughout the year at no additional cost and is subject to periodic adjustments, which better reflect the customer’s actual usage.
Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) and Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) are programs administered by the Maryland Department of Human Resources Office of Home Energy Programs. MEAP provides assistance with winter heating bills regardless of their heating source. Limited assistance is also available to replace broken and inefficient furnaces.
EUSP assists eligible low-income electric customers with their electric bills. Assistance is available whether you are an active customer or you are currently without service. Eligible electric customers may receive help in three ways:
1. Help to pay current electric bills;2. Help to pay past due electric bills; and,3. Help with energy efficiency measures to reduce future electric bills.
Fuel Fund of Maryland, Inc. is a non-profit organization that helps people pay their energy bills after they have applied for energy assistance from the above government programs.
EmPower Low Income Energy Efficiency Program (LIEEP), administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), helps low-income households with installation of energy conservation materials in their homes at no charge. This reduces household energy use and lowers the monthly utility bill.
For more information on these and other human service resources, please download the Community Resource Guide.
