The council adopted a resolution sponsored by Council President Zeke Cohen that calls on the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to deny BGE's request. The PSC has authority over utility rates and is expected to decide on the proposal in January 2027.

"Rising utility costs have staggering consequences for families and local businesses," Cohen said in a statement. "Baltimore's families and small businesses cannot absorb another $156 million expense to pay BGE's investors."

If approved in full, BGE says the average residential customer's monthly bill would increase by about $8, or 4.4%, amounting to roughly $100 more per year.

BGE defended its request, saying it has already scaled back its proposed investment strategy and that the remaining work is necessary to maintain the electric system. "We know every dollar matters to families already struggling with higher costs in many areas of their lives, which is why we dramatically scaled back our proposed investment strategy to include only the work we believe is necessary to keep the lights on for BGE customers," the company said in a statement.

The utility also warned that delaying the work could lead to more outages and higher costs in the future. BGE further argued that rising electricity supply costs, which it says it does not control, have had a larger impact on customer bills in recent years than increases in its distribution rates. According to the company, the portion of the proposed increase tied to its return on equity would amount to less than $1 per month for an average residential customer.

The council's resolution is non-binding and does not block the rate increase, but it adds to months of opposition from residents, community groups, and consumer advocates who have been pressing for relief from rising utility costs.

The debate over BGE's rates comes as households across Baltimore contend with broader cost-of-living pressures, and the PSC's decision will be closely watched by customers and advocates alike.