There was near-riot on the utility commission last week when BGE tried to jack up rates 72% for their customers this summer. Maryland State Curmudgeon, er, Controller, William Schaefer had kittens at the hearing, insinuating that perhaps the utility commissioners were in bed with the power companies, causing a lot of people to react as if they’d been slapped in public, in what might be my favorite public embarrassment campaign in recent history. But BGE has caved on their rates, promising lower increases for this summer’s customers though the final total increase isn’t yet available.