Baltimore Gas and Electric Company is pausing a controversial transmission project in South Baltimore, the company announced Wednesday.

The move follows The Banner’s reporting that the build-out of electric infrastructure to prepare for the redevelopment of Baltimore Peninsula would cost more than $500 million.

BGE has been moving ahead even as that project is in flux, prompting criticism from state officials, including Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson and David Lapp of the Office of People’s Counsel, the state’s ratepayer advocate.

“The pause announced by BGE today to further evaluate their underground transmission project in the 46th Legislative District is the result of months of community engagement and advocacy,” Ferguson said.

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Nick Alexopulos, a BGE spokesperson, said the company is temporarily pausing design and engineering work. He stressed that the project would benefit tens of thousands of new and existing customers well beyond the Baltimore Peninsula.

The Banner reported last summer that BGE planned to spend at least $130 million building substations and other infrastructure tied to the Baltimore Peninsula, where Under Armour is now headquartered. And according to a supplemental cost update from BGE’s parent company, Exelon, additional electricity transmission infrastructure is estimated to cost $407 million.

In December, Under Armour CEO and founder Kevin Plank said he was stepping back from future development at the site. The remainder of the project is in the hands of an Arkansas bank. The bank has said it is in talks with a potential buyer, but their identity is not publicly known.

While welcoming the pause on transmission work, Lapp said BGE’s continued plans to build out its distribution system in the area may also be unnecessary.

That infrastructure spending “was intended to address new customer growth on the peninsula, as well,” he said. “That customer growth is not occurring as anticipated, and BGE has provided no evidence of increasing energy demands on the peninsula.”

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Transmission and distribution are different parts of the electrical system, and they are regulated differently. But both show up on your electric bills — which have escalated noticeably in recent years.

“This pause does not change the underlying reliability needs in this part of the city,” Alexopulos said, “but it is a deliberate step that allows us to deepen engagement with local residents and community leaders, incorporate any updated development plans from Baltimore Peninsula’s new ownership, and thoughtfully review recommendations raised by Senate President Ferguson.”

The Maryland legislature seems poised to pass a law to require stiffer oversight of transmission projects like these. Ferguson and Del. Elizabeth Embry, Baltimore Democrats, both have bills requiring the Maryland Public Service Commission to determine whether planned underground or underwater transmission lines are needed and cost-effective.

Banner reporter Lee O. Sanderlin contributed to this article.

This article has been corrected to reflect that the project costs upward of $500 million.