Tamla Olivier, president and CEO of Baltimore Gas & Electric, recently marked her first year in the role.
In an interview on the Don Glover Show on BMore News on STEM City USA, she described the year as "active and dynamic," noting she is "learning something new every day."
Glover acknowledged the challenges of leading a company that serves every Baltimore resident.
Olivier expressed pride in providing essential services to 1.3 million electric and 600,000 gas customers, powering homes, communities, hospitals, and military installations across Baltimore and Central Maryland.
She clarified that while customers receive bills from BGE, the company does not produce gas or electricity.
Using a familiar analogy, she compared BGE to DoorDash, explaining that the company delivers power to customers' doors.
Olivier addressed rising bills, attributing them to increased electricity prices.
In 2023, Marylanders paid about $29 per megawatt-day; currently, rates exceed $300 per megawatt-hour.
She noted that such price spikes are difficult to predict, as high demand and limited supply benefit power producers.
Maryland imports 40 percent of its electricity from states like Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Olivier explained that Maryland's shift away from fossil fuels, gas, and wind toward solar, which has not scaled quickly enough, has contributed to supply shortages.
When electricity prices rose from $29 to $329, the average BGE customer saw at least a $20 monthly increase.
Unlike Virginia, which has an integrated utility system, Maryland's public policy does not allow utilities to produce and sell energy directly.
Although Maryland introduced the Affordable Energy Act, Olivier emphasized that new generation capacity is still needed to stabilize prices and provide customer relief.
She added that the rapid growth of data centers and artificial intelligence has made demand forecasting challenging.
The United States accounts for 75 percent of the computing power among the world's top 500 AI supercomputers.
Maryland remains a net importer of electricity, while Pennsylvania is well positioned to host large-scale data centers.
Glover questioned why more hasn't been done to educate the public.
Olivier agreed that Maryland must take greater control of its energy future.
She highlighted Pennsylvania's proactive approach in attracting data centers and additional generators, which drive economic development and increase tax revenue, ultimately reducing the tax burden for others.
Data center companies also invest in community infrastructure, such as schools.
Olivier stated that, when built with environmental considerations, data centers can be beneficial for jobs, economic growth, and the tax base.
She encouraged the state to do more to attract large companies to Baltimore City.
Reflecting on her own journey, Olivier shared a lighthearted childhood ambition to be an attorney for the mafia before turning to her current work.
She discussed BGE's workforce collaborative program, which, in partnership with several organizations, has graduated over 500 participants who have secured jobs with BGE or its contractors.
New hires work as engineers, welders, and line workers.
Olivier also promoted the company’s school outreach sessions, which introduce students at all grade levels to the energy industry.
Her advice to young people is to demand excellence, foster a high-performance culture, and remain visible in their pursuits.
Previously, Olivier served as Chief Operating Officer for Pepco Holdings, part of the Exelon family of companies, the nation’s leading energy provider with more than 10 million customers.
She has over a decade of experience with Exelon, overseeing electric and natural gas operations in Delaware and electric operations in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New Jersey.
Before joining Exelon, she held senior leadership roles at T. Rowe Price, United Defense, and Wells Fargo.
On its Good Energy At Work webpage, BGE shares the overview of the Maryland Line to High Ridge project, which involves the construction of new 500kV transmission lines. According to the website, construction is expected to begin in 2027.
Tyrone Taborn, creator of the STEM City USA metaverse, urged residents of Maryland to watch this insightful interview on STEM City USA featuring the top executive from Baltimore Gas and Electric.
"The discussion covers important topics relevant to our community and the future of energy. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights," Taborn said.