Local power grid operator’s failure to plan is costing Marylanders millions

Electric bills in Baltimore have been especially high this summer after weeks of scorching temperatures. But it’s not just the heat that’s driving up the cost. Another factor, some elected officials and environmental and consumer groups argue, is regional grid operator PJM Interconnection’s failure to plan for the future. That has set utility customers up to pay more. The star of this drama is the coal-fired Brandon Shores power plant that sits against the backdrop of the Inner Harbor.