Pepco touts merger plan to D.C. residents as commission reviews deal

Washington D.C.-based utility provider Pepco Holdings Inc. has been promoting the benefits for D.C. residents from a planned merger with Chicago-based utility Exelon Corp. while the proposal remains under review.

 Pepco and Exelon are marketing the move as a way to make energy more affordable, reliable and sustainable for D.C. residents.

The merger plan is currently before D.C.'s Public Service Commission (PSC), which must approve the merger.

“If the merger is completed, residents, businesses and organizations in the district will benefit from a stronger utility that will provide enhanced electric service, more affordable rates and more sustainability benefits,” Donna Cooper, Pepco's regional president, said recently.

The merger has thus far been approved federally and by Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia. The District of Columbia has so far held out on approving the acquisition amid concerns by some D.C. residents.

Still, the merger plan enjoys support from other residents as the companies said they will work hard to address the concerns voiced by those in opposition to the deal. Either way, the D.C. Public Service Commission has set a deadline to complete proceedings to approve the merger by the end of the first quarter.