Leggett rejects public utility option for Montgomery Co.

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett shot down a proposal for the county to ditch Pepco and start its own public utility.

In a breakfast meeting Tuesday with the members of the Montgomery County Council, Leggett says the plan's chances of success were extremely unlikely. Leggett, who taught at Howard University, likened the chances of the proposal to those of Howard's football team winning the BCS Championship. The Bison finished 1-10 in 2010.

"It's equivalent to my saying Howard University will be the national football champion. Sure, if we get all the draft choices for the next five years," Leggett said.

Councilmember Roger Berliner, an energy attorney who's been pushing the investigation of a public utility option, told Leggett he respectfully disagreed and insisted it's worth researching the plan.

Leggett was unmoved.

"I know the state pretty well, I've worked across the state, the likelihood of those things happening is zero," Leggett says.

At the same meeting, Councilmember Craig Rice said Pepco's most recent performance during Hurricane Irene merited praise. He said his constituents were pleased with what they saw as a more responsive Pepco.

Councilmember Nancy Navarro was not impressed.

"I don't believe there's a need to be celebratory, because after all, this is what the rate payers expect, and this is what they (Pepco) were supposed to do all along," Navarro says.

WTOP's Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow Kate^[1] and WTOP^[2] on Twitter.

(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)

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