Baltimore City is proposing a new fee structure for companies that use its municipally owned underground conduit system, an effort aimed at providing sustainable funding to maintain and modernize one of the city’s most important pieces of public infrastructure. The proposal would establish a $4.05 per linear foot franchise fee for Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) and other conduit users beginning January 1, 2027. Baltimore’s approximately 700-mile underground conduit system houses electric, telecommunications, and fiber-optic cables that serve much of the city. Under the 2023 agreement, BGE committed to approximately $120 million in capital improvements to the conduit system in lieu of paying a traditional franchise fee. The new proposal would return all conduit users to a standard franchise fee structure while providing additional revenue to support ongoing operations, maintenance, and system upgrades.