Opposing BGE’s High Voltage Towers in South Remington
Overview of Community Position- Read the full position paper here
Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE), in coordination with Amtrak’s Frederick Douglass Tunnel Initiative, is undertaking infrastructure work in central Baltimore related to the relocation of existing 115kV transmission facilities currently located within Amtrak’s Center Tunnel. This project represents a major transportation investment to improve rail safety, capacity, and regional mobility along the Northeast Corridor. To enable this work, BGE proposes relocating existing transmission infrastructure into a new overhead configuration, with transmission structures sited through portions of South Remington and adjacent Baltimore City corridors.
The proposed project includes replacing existing underground circuits with new overhead transmission towers and electrical infrastructure in and around South Remington. BGE states that this relocation is necessary to maintain electric grid reliability for tens of thousands of customers across Baltimore City, including critical facilities such as hospitals, schools, and public services. The company states that installing overhead lines best considers system reliability, constructability, environmental impact, cost, and alignment with Amtrak’s construction schedule.
The South Remington Community is concerned that residents and neighboring communities were not meaningfully engaged before BGE identified the overhead route as its preferred alternative. BGE submitted a request for a discretionary CPCN waiver in November 2024 and identified multiple routing alternatives, but did not provide residents with a timely opportunity to review, evaluate, or provide input on those alternatives. BGE informed the Public Service Commission that 1200 letters were mailed notifying residents of the proposed changes, but many residents and businesses report receiving no letter, and the letter provided as evidence from BGE did not mention overhead transmission lines.
The community believes a project of this scale requires a transparent evaluation process that considers not only engineering feasibility but also long-term neighborhood, economic, and community impacts. The project will result in temporary and permanent impacts to surrounding communities, including temporary construction disruption such as noise, traffic, and environmental disturbance as well as long-term changes caused by the overhead transmission towers, including impacts to neighborhood character, economic vitality, and long-term community stability. Although the Maryland Public Service Commission approved BGE’s discretionary waiver request in December 2024, the South Remington Community believes BGE should conduct additional analysis of alternative routes before proceeding with permanent infrastructure changes that will affect Central Baltimore for generations.
