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.
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✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill eliminates environmental and energy-related fees, taxes, and programs from utility bills, reducing government revenue and defunding essential programs.90% confidence
✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyBill eliminates environmental fees, taxes, and programs related to energy efficiency and renewable energy standards, weakening clean energy initiatives.95% confidence
✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill eliminates environmental fees, taxes, and programs including renewable energy standards, energy efficiency plans, and Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, weakening environmental protections.95% confidence
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.
SB 801 requires Maryland to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) by January 1, 2027, with conditions allowing rejoining if other states join RGGI or Maryland becomes a net electricity exporter. It eliminates the utility surcharge funding EmPOWER energy efficiency programs, shifting cost recovery away from customer bills. The bill also modifies net energy metering rates, altering how customers with solar panels are compensated for excess electricity fed back to the grid. These changes directly affect the state government, utilities, ratepayers, and residential/commercial solar customers. The policy focuses on restructuring energy cost recovery and emissions program participation without endorsing specific environmental outcomes.
SB 834 imposes a moratorium starting July 1, 2026, prohibiting state government from implementing or enforcing energy efficiency and conservation programs tied to greenhouse gas reduction goals. It requires the Public Service Commission to let electric and gas companies continue recovering costs incurred before July 1, 2026, for programs established under prior law until all such costs are fully recovered. The Commission must report to the legislature within three months of full cost recovery, including a recommendation on whether to lift the moratorium. This bill directly affects utilities, the Public Service Commission, and state agencies overseeing energy programs, with no new program requirements after the moratorium date.
HB 988 repeals Maryland's existing building energy performance standards for commercial and multifamily buildings over 35,000 square feet. It removes requirements for these buildings to achieve a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2040, as well as annual reporting of emissions data. The bill specifically repeals Sections 2-1601 and 2-1602 of the Environment Article and amends Section 4-211(d)(1) and (2) of the Housing and Community Development Article. This eliminates the state's regulatory framework for building energy efficiency, directly affecting owners of covered commercial and multifamily properties.
HB 1525 would require Maryland to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) by January 1, 2027, ending the state's participation in a regional program that sets carbon emission limits for power plants. The bill eliminates a surcharge utilities used to recover costs for energy efficiency programs (EmPOWER), directly affecting how these programs are funded. It also limits the amount of electricity that can be purchased or credited under community solar programs. Maryland could rejoin RGGI if all other PJM Interconnection states become full members or if the state becomes a net electricity exporter.
SB 590 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to study the design and implications of an economy-wide cap-and-invest program to help achieve the state's 2045 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal. The study, to be developed with agencies like the Climate Change Commission and Energy Administration, will evaluate key elements including which sectors (like electricity generation) to cover, how to protect low-income households through revenue use (e.g., rebates, weatherization), and how to address equity in overburdened communities. It will also assess program mechanics such as allowance distribution, auction design, and potential use of offset credits, building on Maryland's existing experience with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The study aims to provide a foundation for future policy decisions on climate funding and emissions reductions.
SB 771 moves the administration of Maryland’s electric universal service program from the Public Service Commission to the Office of Home Energy Programs within the Department of Human Services. This program provides energy assistance to low-income households with annual incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, covering bill assistance, weatherization, and arrearage retirement. The bill also expands the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to include fuel assistance programs and updates related definitions and responsibilities across state code sections. These changes aim to streamline program management under a single agency focused on human services.
HB 1516 transfers administration of Maryland's electric universal service program from the Public Service Commission to the Office of Home Energy Programs within the Department of Human Services. It also expands the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to cover fuel assistance programs, including weatherization for low-income households. The bill directly affects low-income residents with annual incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level who receive energy bill assistance. Key provisions include requiring the new Office to implement the electric universal service program and continuing the weatherization component previously managed by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The changes aim to streamline administration under one agency while maintaining existing eligibility and service mechanisms.
HB 1532 amends Maryland's energy laws to adjust electricity rate structures and efficiency programs. It lowers the qualifying threshold for large commercial/industrial customers to access a specific rate schedule from 100 megawatts to 25 megawatts, directly affecting major energy users like factories and data centers. The bill also changes multiyear rate plan rules to prevent utilities from passing certain costs to customers and requires refunds if actual revenue differs from forecasts. Additionally, it updates energy efficiency program cycles, greenhouse gas target calculations, and definitions for energy resources like "zero-emission credits" used in procurement.
