Nuclear Giant Exelon To Buy Washington’s Pepco In $6.8 Billion Energy Deal

Nuclear-energy giant Exelon launched a $6.8 billion takeover of Washington’s century-old local electric company on Wednesday, promising long-suffering Pepco customers better service and a quicker response when the lights do go out.

Consumer advocates and government officials across Pepco’s service area, which includes the District and much of suburban Maryland, largely welcomed the proposed merger, which would inject fresh resources and personnel into a company whose record for reliability has long ranked among the worst in the nation.

But they also worried that the takeover — if approved by a far-flung army of state and federal regulators — could leave local residents reliant on the distant Chicago owners of one of the nation’s largest utilities. 
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