BGE’s proposal, which was selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) last October as one of six nationwide to receive a maximum $200m stimulus grant, includes plans for the installation of two million smart meters and is expected to save BGE customers in excess of $2.6bn over 15 years.
Kenneth DeFontes, president and CEO of BGE, said: “In this filing, we address some misunderstandings about our proposal, respond to the PSC’s concerns, strengthen what was an already robust plan, and make every effort to retain a coveted $200m grant from the DOE, which would cut in half the overall costs of our smart grid project for BGE’s residential customers.”
The recent filing follows a June 21, 2010 order in which the PSC indicated that it will consider a revised proposal should the company wish to pursue the project.
BGE said that consistent with testimony during hearings on the original proposal, it has withdrawn a mandatory time-of-use (TOU) rate structure. In the recent filing, the company retains an optional TOU program that enables customers to pay lower rates for using energy during off-peak hours. According to the company, all customers are automatically eligible to earn rebates from conserving energy during periods of peak demand.
