26-0061R: Informational Hearing – Impact of Brownouts FOR the purpose of requiring the Health Department, the Department of Public Works, and the Office of Emergency Management, and inviting representatives from the Maryland Public Service Commission, the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, and any interested energy experts and stakeholders, to appear before the City Council to discuss the public health, safety, and economic impact of electrical brownouts in the City, including an assessment of the City’s brownout response preparedness to protect communities burdened by environmental and infrastructural inequities

Description

Informational Hearing – Impact of Brownouts FOR the purpose of requiring the Health Department, the Department of Public Works, and the Office of Emergency Management, and inviting representatives from the Maryland Public Service Commission, the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, and any interested energy experts and stakeholders, to appear before the City Council to discuss the public health, safety, and economic impact of electrical brownouts in the City, including an assessment of the City’s brownout response preparedness to protect communities burdened by environmental and infrastructural inequities

Summary

Baltimore City Council Resolution 26-0061R, introduced July 13, 2026, would require the Health Department, Department of Public Works, and Office of Emergency Management to appear at an informational hearing on electrical brownouts. The resolution also invites the Maryland Public Service Commission, Baltimore Gas and Electric, energy experts, and other stakeholders. The hearing would examine brownouts’ effects on public health, safety, infrastructure, and the economy, as well as the City’s emergency preparedness. It highlights risks such as traffic-light failures, damaged equipment, disrupted digital systems, and loss of heating or cooling. The resolution emphasizes potentially greater impacts on communities facing environmental and infrastructure inequities, amid rising electricity demand, data-center growth, and severe weather.