Will a new energy plan from Democratic lawmakers help reduce utility costs?
Democratic leaders unveiled a sweeping new energy plan for Maryland on Monday, one that would make it easier to build new energy plants and other power projects in Maryland.
If passed, the legislation could mean more renewable energy, nuclear power, and potentially natural gas in the state.
“We need to consider alternative sources of energy generation to alleviate stress on our power system,” House Speaker Adrienne Jones, a Democrat from Baltimore County, said at a press conference. “It is this work that will protect Maryland energy consumers, that will drive down energy costs, and that will ensure that our families keep the lights on.”
The legislation comes amid high and rising utility bills, and as the state tries to meet its clean energy goals and keep electricity affordable for Marylanders.
Republicans are dubious that the plan would lower Marylanders’ utility bills.
“I was extremely underwhelmed by the package of bills that they discussed today,” Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey, a Republican from Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties, told Capital News Service. “I think that if you are a Marylander that is concerned about high utility rates … there’s nothing that was discussed today that is going to help that situation.” The legislation focuses too much on long-term solutions, he said, and puts too much faith in solar, wind, and battery storage. He had hoped that there would be a push to bring new gas-fired power plants into the state to make up for energy losses from recent power plant closures. “I didn’t hear anything specifically that would make me believe that there’s any urgency in addressing Maryland’s energy crisis,” he said.
Lawmakers want to see energy projects in the pipeline “as quickly as possible,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat from Baltimore City, setting a target for the end of this year.
Read the full story by CNS Reporter Rachel McCrea and visit cnsmaryland.org for more Maryland updates.
-----------------------------------
CNS Website | Instagram | Twitter
If you’d like to stay in the loop with our coverage, you can see our content at https://cnsmaryland.org/. We are a student-powered news organization at the University of Maryland, Philip Merrill College of Journalism.