Dive Summary:

• In the wake of lengthy power outages following recent storms, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley convened a task force to help with response time; the task force offered recommendations on how to reduced prolonged outages.
• The task force suggested that adding $1 or $2 to residents’ monthly electric bills could improve the state’s electricity distribution system and allow utilities to recover expenses incurred by these improvements.
• This, along with the 10 other recommendations that include transmission line relocations and utility staffing levels, will be brought to the Maryland Public Service Commission for consideration.

From the article:

A Maryland task force's recommendations to reduce prolonged power outages after powerful storms includes the possibility of adding $1 or $2 to residents' monthly electric bills to improve the state's electricity distribution system, Gov. Martin O'Malley said Wednesday.

Maryland residents have been beleaguered by lengthy power outages in three potent storms in recent years, including the unusual derecho storm that whipped through the state in June and knocked out power to some for more than a week. O'Malley convened the task force in July in response to the derecho storm. There were also widespread outages in a 2010 snowstorm and Hurricane Irene last year. ...