Baltimore Gas and Electric told employees this week that it plans to lay off 67 workers by next spring, according to the company’s union.

In BGE talking points shared by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 410, the utility company said layoffs are necessary primarily “due to a sustained lack of work.”

BGE told employees that proactive maintenance and leak repairs have meant less work for the union, a trend it expects to continue, according to the company’s talking points.

IBEW 410 represents about 1,600 people, most of whom work at BGE, according to its website.

The union said that in recent years BGE has shifted spending from its internal workforce to contractors who are more expensive and pointed out that the utility company, part of Chicago-based Exelon, is highly profitable.

In a statement, BGE acknowledged that layoffs are coming, but said that restructuring is necessary to provide to affordable and reliable service to its customers.

A company spokesman declined to say how many employees would lose their jobs.

“We do not take this decision lightly and recognize that it affects people’s lives,” BGE President and CEO Tamla Oliver said in an email sent to employees. “This is a difficult moment, but I’m confident in our ability to come together and continue to deliver on our purpose.”

The union warned that BGE is being shortsighted — and that ratepayers will be hurt in the long run.

Many of its members are eligible for retirement, the union said, and there could soon be an exodus of experienced employees.

If BGE continues to underinvest in its workforce, the union said the company will be under even more pressure to hire contractors. The union said that would jeopardize the reliability of BGE’s services and drive up costs to customers.

Banner reporter Hayes Gardener contributed to this report.