Energy

This bill would eliminate several environmental and energy-related fees, taxes, and programs currently included on Maryland electric and gas utility bills. It directly affects residential customers, small businesses, and commercial customers by removing charges related to the electric universal service program, energy efficiency plans, renewable energy standards, building efficiency requirements, and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Key provisions prohibit utility companies from adding specific surcharges or riders to retail bills and require the state to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The legislation also repeals various sections of state law governing these programs and taxes across multiple articles of the Annotated Code of Maryland.

This bill modifies Maryland's retail electricity and gas supply regulations by changing how utility companies can charge fees, what marketing materials they can bill customers for, and how long residential energy contracts can last. It reduces the annual assessment fee that electric and gas companies pay to the state Public Service Commission from 0.50% to 0.25% of their gross operating revenues, while keeping separate fees for the Strategic Energy Planning Office and Office of People's Counsel. The legislation also limits residential electricity contracts to a maximum of 36 months and removes the ability for suppliers to automatically renew green power contracts without customer consent. Additionally, the bill clarifies that marketing materials must be neutral when informing customers about standard energy options and repeals previous regulations on green power pricing.

HB 1225 limits registration fees for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to match the fees charged for gas pump meters. Specifically, it prohibits charging stations from being assessed more per "port" than the fee for a single gas pump meter. The bill also requires the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund to cover costs for inspecting EV charging equipment, redirecting funds previously allocated elsewhere. This affects EV charging station operators and state inspection programs, ensuring fee consistency between EV charging and traditional fuel dispensing.

HB 970 renames Maryland's "Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard" to the "Clean Energy Portfolio Standard" and changes related terms like "renewable energy credits" to "clean energy credits." The bill explicitly adds electricity generated from certain nuclear power plants as an eligible Tier 2 source for meeting the standard, expanding the types of energy that can count toward compliance. This change directly affects utilities and energy providers required to meet the state's clean energy targets, applying retroactively to prior compliance periods. The bill focuses on updating terminology and eligibility criteria within existing energy policy frameworks.

HB 1374 replaces the existing annual surcharge for zero-emission and plug-in electric vehicles with a new annual highway use fee for owners of alternative fuel vehicles, fuel-efficient vehicles (25+ MPG), and plug-in electric drive vehicles. It requires these owners to pay the annual fee instead of the previous $100-$125 surcharge, with fees deposited into a dedicated Highway Use Fee Account. The bill also establishes a voluntary mileage-based user fee program administered by the Department of Transportation, allowing vehicle owners to opt into this program instead of paying the annual fee. All funds in the Highway Use Fee Account must be used solely for Maryland’s regional commuter rail service, with strict rules prohibiting diversion to the general fund or other departmental purposes.

SB 596 exempts large commercial or industrial electricity customers (defined as those with 25+ MW monthly demand and over 80% load factor) from needing a certificate of public convenience to connect to the grid when using surplus interconnection capacity. It establishes a new interconnection process with standard and expedited timelines, requiring these customers to cover 25% of their power needs through on-site storage, new carbon-free energy sources, or demand response. The bill also mandates a Demand Response Program where large customers can opt for scheduled load reductions during peak times in exchange for compensation, with fees from interconnection requests split between universal service and low-income energy efficiency programs.

HB 1561 requires Maryland's Public Service Commission to mandate investor-owned electric utilities to develop resource adequacy plans if the state faces insufficient power supply capacity or experiences severe price spikes in the PJM electricity market. The bill directs utilities to prioritize renewable energy investments in these plans and allows them to recover reasonable costs (including stranded investments) through regulated surcharges. It modifies how utilities can recover expenses for building power generation facilities and transmission infrastructure, ensuring cost recovery aligns with federal rate base approvals. This directly affects Maryland's major electric utilities (like Potomac Electric Power Company) and their ratepayers through potential cost adjustments.

HB 1494 modernizes Maryland's residential electricity and gas markets by allowing suppliers to offer time-of-use rates for terms longer than 12 months and combining electricity with green energy certificates in multi-year plans. It permits rates that exceed standard utility rates during peak times and exempts certain green power products from typical marketing and pricing rules. The bill requires the Public Service Commission to establish new rules for consolidated billing, cybersecurity, and fair interconnection of energy services. These changes directly affect residential customers choosing electricity/gas plans and suppliers offering those services, aiming to expand consumer options while adding new regulatory safeguards.

HB 940 exempts large commercial and industrial electricity customers (defined as those with at least 25 megawatts monthly demand and over 80% load factor) from needing a certificate of public convenience and necessity when using surplus interconnection capacity at existing grid points. It requires the Public Service Commission to create a new interconnection process with standard and expedited timelines, mandating that these customers provide 25% of their load through energy storage, carbon-free assets, or demand response. Customers meeting 100% of this requirement through specified methods and paying prevailing wages receive priority for load studies, interconnection, and permitting. The bill also establishes a Demand Response Program allowing large customers to contract for specific load management time slots, with fees collected from the interconnection process split between universal service and low-income energy efficiency programs.

HB 897 (the "Lower Bills and Local Power Act of 2026") requires electric companies operating high-voltage transmission lines (>69,000 volts) in Maryland to join regional transmission organizations. It mandates new application details for certain utility projects, creates a Solar and Energy Storage Market Stabilization Program within the Maryland Energy Administration, and redirects funds from the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund to provide refunds or credits to residential electricity customers. The bill also requires studies on siting transmission lines and battery storage systems within existing rights-of-way and sets deadlines for the Public Service Commission to review project certificates. These provisions directly affect electric utilities, the Public Service Commission, and residential electricity customers through cost adjustments.