Isiah Leggett, chief executive of Montgomery County, MD, said last week the county will appeal the Maryland Public Service Commission’s decision awarding Potomac Electric Power Co. (Pepco) a $28 million increase in distribution rates and a $24 million surcharge to accelerate the hardening of feeder lines.

Leggett said that the PSC’s decision to approve the surcharge was “premature.”

“I believe that Pepco has made improvements in their communications, infrastructure, and emergency response systems since last summer’s ‘Derecho’ storm. However, just how improved these changes are have not yet been seriously tested,” Leggett told The Washington Post.

Leggett, who is seeking his third term as county executive, will face off against his predecessor, Douglas Duncan, and County Councilman Phil Andrews in next June’s Democratic primary.

Andrews has criticized Leggett for a series of tax hikes, including a 2010 increase in the county’s energy tax that increased household electric bills by about $139 annually.

The surcharge and base rate increase approved by the PSC will boost average residential bills by about $26 per year. (See MD OKs $28 Million Base Rate Boost for PEPCO.)