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BALTIMORE, July 21, 2008 – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), a subsidiary of Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG), today announced that more than 3,000 gas and electric customers in Baltimore and Westminster, Md., will participate in the utility’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) pilot program. Also known as “smart meters,” the AMI pilot was approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission in 2007 and runs from July to November 2008. It will test two-way communication between the customer’s meter and BGE’s new meter data management system.
“AMI meters, or smart meters, send customer energy usage data directly to BGE via secure radio frequency,” said Mark D. Case, senior vice president of strategy and regulatory affairs for BGE. “Remote metering benefits customers because it enables faster notification of power outages and helps to eliminate the need for estimated bills. Because energy usage is tracked hourly it can also provide customers with expanded energy management options, such as participation in time-of-use programs that offer lower electric rates during off-peak hours and Internet access to their daily energy usage information, empowering them to better manage energy usage.”
During the AMI pilot, customer energy usage is tracked hourly and transmitted every six hours to BGE’s meter data management system which centrally stores and validates all meter data. For the purposes of the pilot, meter readings will also be taken monthly by meter readers to validate the automated readings. In addition to remote meter readings, the two-way communication system will allow the utility to monitor voltage quality, equipment operation, and load reduction for participants enrolled in BGE’s demand response program, PeakRewardsSM. Upon approval by the Maryland Public Service Commission, BGE plans to implement its AMI program system-wide beginning in 2009. Meter installations should be completed by 2012.
BGE’s AMI pilot is a component of BGE’s Smart Energy Savers ProgramSM intended to transform and expand customer options for better managing energy usage. Announced in January 2007, BGE’s Smart Energy Savers ProgramSM also includes: PeakRewardsSM, a demand response program that uses next generation “smart thermostats” and energy saver switches to cycle customers’ air conditioning units during high-demand, high-price periods; a Smart Energy Pricing pilot intended to encourage customers to shift or reduce usage during peak usage times; and energy efficiency/conservation programs such as price mark downs on approved CFL light bulbs and rebates on ENERGY STAR® appliances. For more information on BGE’s Smart Energy Savers ProgramSM, customers can visit www.BGESmartEnergy.com. BGE, www.bge.com, headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.2 million electric customers and more than 640,000 natural gas customers in Central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,000 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. BGE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Constellation Energy, www.constellation.com, a FORTUNE 125 company also headquartered in Baltimore with subsidiaries that generate, sell and deliver energy and provide other energy-related services to customers throughout North America.
Contact: Linda Foy
Kelly Shanefelter
Rachael Lighty
(410) 470-7433
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