Baltimore City Council Presses BGE on Conduit Safety After Underground Fires

Utility company says it has made progress in modernizing the underground conduit system.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The Baltimore City Council's public safety committee is looking into the city's underground conduit system after several damaging and disruptive underground fires, including one in 2024 that led to manhole explosions. Sterling Sumwalt, who oversees the conduit system for Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), told the council that the utility company has made 'great progress' in replacing and modernizing 300,000 feet of conduit in the last three years to lessen the impact of emergencies.

Why it matters

The underground conduit system in Baltimore is critical infrastructure that houses both electrical and fiber optic lines. Failures in the aging system can lead to dangerous incidents like fires and explosions that disrupt power, internet, and other services for residents and businesses. The City Council is pressing BGE to ensure the conduit system is safe and reliable.

The details

In September 2024, a fire at the intersection of North Charles and West Pleasant streets led to manhole explosions, which an independent review called 'damaging, dangerous and disruptive.' BGE's Sterling Sumwalt told the council that the utility company has replaced 300,000 feet of conduit and modernized the system in the last three years in an effort to lessen the impact of such emergencies.

  • In September 2024, a fire at the intersection of North Charles and West Pleasant streets led to manhole explosions.

The players

Baltimore City Council

The legislative body of the city of Baltimore, Maryland.

Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE)

The utility company that owns and operates the underground conduit system in Baltimore.

Sterling Sumwalt

The executive at BGE who oversees the city's underground conduit system.

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What they’re saying

“I think we've made a great amount of progress with new manholes enhancing the system, expanding the system, modernizing things, and we've done all of this work in roughly three years.”

— Sterling Sumwalt, Executive at BGE (wbal.com)

What’s next

The Baltimore City Council's public safety committee will continue to press BGE for more details and updates on the progress of modernizing the city's underground conduit system.

The takeaway

The aging underground conduit system in Baltimore is critical infrastructure that has experienced failures leading to dangerous incidents. The city is holding the utility company accountable for improving the safety and reliability of this system that serves residents and businesses.