Maryland regulators approve BGE transmission upgrades across three counties tied to Brandon Shores reliability planning
State approval clears path for multi-county transmission work
Maryland utility regulators have approved Baltimore Gas and Electric’s plan to build and upgrade high-voltage electric facilities running through Harford, Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties, a project framed as necessary to maintain grid reliability as the region prepares for major generation changes at the Brandon Shores power plant complex.
The approval is part of the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity process required for overhead transmission lines above 69 kilovolts. The project has been reviewed through a multi-stage state proceeding that included public comment hearings held in April 2025 and technical review by state agencies responsible for coordinating environmental and natural-resources analysis for power-plant and transmission siting.
What the project includes and where it runs
The transmission work consists of a set of related upgrades commonly described as the Brandon Shores Retirement Mitigation Project. The route includes facilities spanning from the Maryland-Pennsylvania state line to an existing BGE substation in Harford County, continuing south toward Baltimore County and linking into other existing substations and planned equipment in Anne Arundel County.
Project descriptions in state filings identify several distinct elements, including new or modified overhead lines and substation work designed to address voltage and reliability needs on the regional grid. The overall scope has been described in project materials as adding or upgrading dozens of miles of transmission infrastructure, with significant portions planned within corridors where transmission facilities already exist.
Why the upgrades are being pursued
The state review record ties the upgrades to reliability concerns connected to the future of the Brandon Shores generating units in Anne Arundel County. While Brandon Shores had been scheduled to retire in 2025, the plant’s operation has been extended under a reliability-must-run arrangement through May 31, 2029, to maintain electric system reliability until transmission upgrades are completed and placed in service.
Regional planning documents and grid studies connected to the Brandon Shores deactivation scenario have described potential thermal and voltage issues that would require transmission system reinforcements. The BGE project is one part of a broader set of changes identified through regional reliability planning, which can involve multiple utilities and upgrades that extend beyond a single county’s footprint.
Local concerns and what happens next
Public participation in the state proceeding has included objections from some residents and property owners along portions of the route. Issues raised during the debate have included potential impacts on property, construction disruption, and whether existing easements allow the work as proposed.
State project summaries indicate the matter has also involved appeals activity within the broader siting and certification process. With state approval in place, attention shifts to implementation timelines, remaining permitting steps that apply to specific crossings or environmentally sensitive areas, and the sequencing of construction needed to align with the reliability timeline associated with the Brandon Shores operating extension.
- Counties affected: Harford, Baltimore, Anne Arundel
- Project purpose: transmission reinforcement tied to reliability planning for Brandon Shores
- Key timeline context: Brandon Shores operating extension runs through May 31, 2029
The project is designed as a reliability-driven set of upgrades intended to keep the regional grid stable during a period of major generation transition.