Legislation would save Marylanders money on home energy

The Utility Relief Act announced by Gov. Wes Moore Monday would save Marylanders money on their energy bills, but Republicans immediately criticized it for not doing enough to help.

The legislation — which would save about $150 a year or $12.50 per month on home energy bills — will help fuel more supply and give a little relief to customers whose bills have been surging, said Moore, a Democrat.

“We have spent these past weeks staying laser-focused on making life just a little more affordable for the people of Maryland, because we are all very clear of a complete onslaught that we are enduring, right now,” Moore said.

It will be paid for by $100 million from the strategic energy investment fund and by reducing the surcharge ratepayers pay each month to help cover the state’s energy efficiency program.

Republican leadership in the state said it’s not enough.

“They’ve taken 90 days to push through a policy that does very little for ratepayers,” said state Sen. Stephen Hershey, R-36^th District. “They should be ashamed of themselves, actually.”

The savings is part of a bigger package of legislation that also includes up to $1,400 in energy savings per year for lower income residents as well as new restrictions on data centers.

“Under this law, data centers will pay for the grid upgrades they need and not the people of the state of Maryland,” Moore said.

“We are setting a clear line in the sand as to which data centers we believe should be host in Maryland,” said state Sen. Bill Ferguson, D-Baltimore. “It’s those that are bringing their own clean generation and battery storage to fulfill their energy needs.”

Lawmakers say the bills also will invest in cleaner energy, cap the amount of executive salaries that can be passed on to ratepayers, and require utility companies to consider advanced technologies that would increase reliability and drive down costs for customers.

“I really believe that this bill that we have in front of us, it is the crowning achievement of this legislative session. It truly is,” said House Speaker Joseline Pena-Melnyk, D-21^st District.

Monday is the last day of the General Assembly session, and lawmakers had a lot of work to do to get the legislation approved.

BGE, Delmarva Power and Pepco released a joint statement on the Utility Relief Act, saying, in part, the companies appreciate the state’s focus on energy affordability, but it also cautioned there could be unintended consequences over the long term that could increase costs or delay critical infrastructure investments.