Baltimore Gas

How hard is it to be fired from the top reaches of corporate America? Consider the strange case of Mayo A. Shattuck III, chairman and chief executive of Baltimore-based Constellation Energy. Commodity bets with borrowed money and market turmoil nearly pushed Constellation into bankruptcy in September. The company's stock has fallen 75 percent since the beginning of 2008. Constellation shares have delivered about the same return as a broad basket of U.S. electricity and utility stocks since Shattuck took over in late 2001.

Constellation Energy Group announced late yesterday that it sold a big piece of its commodities trading operations, once the biggest source of its growth but more recently the source of financial troubles that forced it to find a merger partner. Macquarie Group of Australia agreed yesterday to buy Constellation's natural gas unit, based in Houston, for an undisclosed price, and supply gas to Constellation NewEnergy Gas, the company's retail division. Yesterday's transaction is the Baltimore company's latest move to reduce risk and the large collateral requirements needed to run trading operations.

State leaders failed to protect ratepayers The arrival of the 50 percent electricity rate increase demonstrates the dismal failure of our elected officials to protect their constituents ("BGE rates arrive quietly," June 1). Where are the champions of last summer who promised to take action against Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. and Constellation Energy? It's all fine and well to blame former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and his rubber-stamp Public Service Commission. But we were promised solutions, not finger-pointing.

MAURICE "Bo" KERBY, born October 15, 1919 in Baltimore, MD, passed away at his home in San Diego, CA, on April 9th, at the age of 87. Bo is survived by his wife of 60 years, Anne Kerby; his sister Theresa Kerby; his daughter Cathy Lapoint; his son-inlaw John Lapoint MD; and four grandchildren; Jeff and Eliko Lapoint; Jody and Kirk Hinkleman. Bo served his country in World War II as an Army Medic and worked for Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. directly after his service. Bo was a longtime, faithful member of the Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church in Baltimore.

William John Pencek Sr., a retired accountant and decorated World War II veteran, died of cancer Thursday at his home in Baltimore. He was 84. Mr. Pencek was drafted into the Army Air Forces in 1944 and was assigned to the infantry as the Allies prepared for the invasion of Europe. After basic training at Camp Wolters in Mineral Wells, Texas, he was sent to Camp Kilmer, N.J., and boarded a troopship to Liverpool, England. After a rough trip across the English Channel, Mr. Pencek and his squad landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Anne Arundel Man pleads guilty in unsolved slayings A man already serving a life sentence for a 1994 slaying pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of rape in a trio of brutal killings that went unsolved for more than a decade. Alexander Wayne Watson Jr., 36, made the formal plea three days after meeting with families of his victims, who were all strangled and fatally stabbed: Boon Tem Andersen at her Gambrills home on Oct. 6, 1986; Elaine Shereika as she was jogging on May 23, 1988; and Lisa Kathleen Haenel, 14, as she walked to Old Mill High School on Jan. 15, 1993.

A major road in Cockeysville was closed for several hours yesterday, and 20 homes were evacuated after construction equipment punctured a natural gas main, Baltimore County fire officials said. The leak in a 2-inch gas line near Cranbrook and Sorley roads was reported shortly after 10 a.m., officials said. Cranbrook Road was closed for several hours in both directions between Sorley Road and Greenside Drive, police said. Representatives of the county's Office of Emergency Management were at the scene to assist residents.

In Baltimore CountyEdgemere Elementary closed for gas leak, will reopen todayEDGEMERE -- Edgemere Elementary School pupils and teachers were evacuated to Sparrows Point High School yesterday because of a gas leak outside the building caused by a Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. crew, the county Fire Department said.School administrators heard a roaring noise and noticed the odor of gas about 11: 40 a.m. In all, 479 Edgemere pupils were moved to the high school. No injuries were reported.After helping with the evacuation, Baltimore County firefighters shut off electrical power and closed outside vents at the school, said Battalion Chief Mark Hubbard.

Police Blotter is a sampling of crimes in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.Baltimore CityNorthwestern DistrictBurglary/arrest: Police investigating a break-in at the Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. training center in the 4200 block of Mortimer Ave. Sunday arrested a man near adjoining train tracks after a brief foot chase. Raymond Bouldin, 40, of the 4200 block of Groveland Ave. was charged with burglary and processed at the Central Booking and Intake Center.Robbery: A man robbed another man, 44, of his wallet, cash and cellular phone, all valued at $300, about 1: 30 a.m. Sunday in the 3000 block of Denison Ave.Southern DistrictStolen car: A blue two-door 1990 Pontiac with North Carolina tags LZN 1415 was stolen Sunday in the 1800 block of E. Fort Ave.Theft from vehicle: Golf clubs and a golf bag, all valued at more than $1,600, were stolen from a vehicle parked in the 1000 block of Russell St. between Oct. 2 and yesterday .Northern DistrictTheft from vehicle: A radar detector and computer equipment, all valued at more than $300, were stolen Sunday from a 1988 Volkswagen parked in the 3800 block of Pleasant Place.

Interstate 95 near Route 175 in Howard County will be closed in both directions this morning while utility crews repair a power line that was damaged in a tractor-trailer accident.All lanes of the highway will be closed between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. with traffic allowed to pass every 15 minutes.Delays are likely to occur, and motorists are advised to take alternative routes.The 13,000-volt power line was knocked down about 9 a.m. Friday, when the truck hit a utility pole north of the Route 175 exit, according to state police.

It's going to cost substantially less to heat one's home this winter, so where are the huzzahs? Baltimore Gas & Electric announced Monday that natural gas prices are down 25 percent, and the average residential utility customer stands to save about $184 during the heating season. Declining natural gas prices are good for electric rates, too. The Energy Information Administration announced yesterday that all U.S. households will likely pay 8 percent less to heat their homes (although the savings for heating oil and electricity customers are projected to be less than the 12 percent to 14 percent savings expected for those who use propane or natural gas)

Schools OK contract for reading material 2 The Baltimore County school board unanimously approved Tuesday night a $3.44 million contract to the Pennsylvania-based American Reading Co. for supplemental reading materials, as well as professional development for teachers in Title I schools. The program, which is to be funded using Title I federal stimulus money, is an extension of a pilot reading initiative, which school officials say has shown success in "substantially" raising students' reading levels.

Constellation Energy Group remains committed to sponsoring golf's Senior Players Championship at Baltimore Country Club in October, but an executive acknowledged Monday that the recession has raised concerns about its involvement beyond 2011. "This would not be something that we'd take on if there was no contract in place, but we will uphold our [five-year] commitment," said Stacey Ullrich, Constellation's executive director for marketing and community outreach. Organizers held an event Monday to launch awareness of the tournament, which raised $400,000 for local charities in each of the past two years.

Chief executives of public companies have long had a ready answer when criticized about high pay: It's all about company performance. That argument has been put to the test by the toughest financial environment since the Great Depression. If performance is the standard, many of the Baltimore area's top-earning executives seem to be on shaky ground. To see how last year's financial crisis and worsening recession affected pay, The Baltimore Sun analyzed the 20 companies in the metro area that paid their CEOs at least $1 million.

High sustained winds and rain damaged homes in Finksburg and knocked out power Friday afternoon to more than 40,000 Baltimore Gas & Electric customers in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. Sinai Hospital in the city was one of the customers affected. Three homes in the 2900 block of Constellation Way of the Star View Estates community near Gamber were condemned after significant damage to roofs and structures, and several nearby homes were also damaged, said Brian Horton, spokesman for the Carroll County Sheriff's Office.

Constellation Energy Group reported Friday an 84 percent drop in second-quarter profit as the Baltimore company suffered losses from shedding some of its businesses and costs related to its deal with a French utility. But the owner of Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. raised earnings projections for the year to reflect a more positive outlook even as executives responded to Wall Street analysts' concerns about completing its $4.5 billion transaction to sell half of its nuclear power business to Electricite de France.

The computer in my toaster might be more powerful than the one that guided Apollo 11. But half a century after Robert Noyce launched the cyber age by inventing the silicon-based integrated circuit, computers are curiously scarce in one huge and critical part of daily life. When power goes out in your neighborhood, Baltimore Gas & Electric has no idea until somebody picks up a phone and tells it. BGE still has to send out meter readers to figure out bills. Households are clueless about daily electricity price fluctuations.

Constellation Energy Group told Gov. Martin O'Malley Friday that it would give ratepayers a break and cancel a lucrative golden parachute package for its chief executive as part of a settlement that could help to ensure regulatory approval of a deal with a French utility. But O'Malley said Constellation's counteroffer to his June proposal does not go far enough. It is the latest development in talks that began behind the scenes but escalated into a public tussle. O'Malley has sought to wage a public campaign, laying out his case in an editorial and a Webcast to try to wring concessions from Constellation.

Smart electric meters of dubious value After more than 20 years working in the electric utility industry, I am no longer amazed at the lengths some utility companies will go to wrench one more dollar from the consumer while simultaneously reducing service ("An intelligent idea," July 15). The "smart grid" is still down the road since existing technology is expensive (added costs for consumer) and available on a limited basis, with spotty test results. Several industry specific research groups agree that this is a technology for tomorrow, but first the transmission grid needs to be updated, allowing greater access and thus a reduction in distribution costs.

Constellation Energy Group appealed Monday a court ruling dismissing the utility's lawsuit accusing Maryland regulators of overstepping their authority in investigating a deal to sell half its nuclear power business to a French utility. The legal move before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals comes a week after a Baltimore Circuit Court judge ruled that it is premature for Constellation to challenge a continuing review process under the Maryland Public Service Commission. Judge Stuart R. Berger did not rule on the merits of Constellation's argument that the regulatory review is not required under state law. "We are simply preserving our legal rights in the future," Constellation spokesman Rob Gould said.