The underground system carries electrical, telecommunications and fiber-optic cables throughout the city. Officials said the increase is needed to account for inflation and the rising costs of maintaining and operating the system. Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen criticized BGE’s management of the system, saying the company has not been a reliable partner in delivering essential services to residents. BGE maintains that the proposed rate increase is excessive and warned that the additional costs could eventually be passed along to utility customers. The city plans to create a new conduit division within the Baltimore Department of Transportation to manage the network beginning in 2027.