Our say: State officials must stop grotesque utility rate increase

If Maryland politicians are wondering about the voters' top priority in this election, here's some advice: It won't be stem cell research, college tuitions, clean air or same-sex marriage. It will be a 72 percent hike in electric rates that will hit 1.2 million Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. customers just two months before the primary election.

So far, explanations from the governor and legislators are more abundant than solutions. They claim the obscene rate hike is the fault of the state's seven-year-old deregulation pact, higher oil prices and hurricanes - but certainly not Constellation Energy Group, the owner of BGE, which...