Despite announcing one-year commodity sales agreements withOutback Steakhouse and the Hair Cuttery in Northern Virginia thisweek, Constellation Energy Source said retail commodity sales arelosing their allure. The company, a nonregulated subsidiary ofBaltimore Gas & Electric, has closed several small retailmarketing offices and eliminated six retail commodity salespositions to make room for more engineers and energy servicesexperts.

“Constellation is refocusing, really changing the company tomove away from commodity gas sales and into the bigger market ofenergy solutions,” said spokesman Mike Delaney. “BGE wants to be amajor player in the retail market long term, but there’s just notany margin in retail commodity sales. We would rather partner withseveral large customers on total energy outsourcing deals than justsell them the commodity.”

He said Constellation closed its offices in Columbus, OH, andChesapeake, VA, and will service those states out of offices inPittsburgh and Baltimore. However, it is expanding its wholesalemarketing operations in Houston and plans to beef up its energyservices staff in Baltimore and elsewhere in the Northeast.

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