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Maryland joins regional effort to lower electricity costs, identify "resilient, abundant, accessible, and affordable" energy solutions Gov. Moore says

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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has joined a regional effort to reduce electricity costs for residents.

Maryland, along with eight other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, is seeking project recommendations to improve grid reliability, support economic growth, and reduce electricity costs.

The announcement comes after Maryland joined the multi-state collaborative in May, which issued a joint strategic action plan outlining specific steps for addressing gaps in energy transmission planning across state boundaries.

"The Request for Information seeks to fill a gap in today's transmission planning processes by identifying potential interregional transmission opportunities, or 'Candidate Projects,' that improve grid reliability, support economic growth, and reduce costs for consumers," state leaders wrote .

Project developers have until October 23, 2025, to respond to the request for information.

The states currently face the challenging task of meeting increased energy demands while striving towards more energy efficiency and lower consumer costs.

"Marylanders deserve energy that is resilient, abundant, accessible, and affordable," Moore said. "In collaboration with our neighbors, this is an important step forward in our mission to combat rising costs and make energy more affordable and sustainable for Marylanders."

Reducing energy costs for Marylanders

Marylanders have continued to grapple with increasing gas and electricity bills.

BGE customers in Maryland have faced significant rate increases, with gas bills rising 9% and electric bills increasing 7% as of January 1, 2025.

The impact on consumers has been even greater due to increased energy usage, according to BGE. Natural gas prices are also 30% higher than in January 2024.

On June 1, BGE customers saw a rise in electricity prices due to an unexpected spike in capacity auction prices and the Talen Energy reliability-must-run (RMR) fee, which pays to keep certain power plants operating beyond their planned retirement dates.

Maryland leaders, including Zeke Cohen, president of the Baltimore City Council, have publicly expressed their goals of reducing energy rates.

On July 3, Cohen joined union leaders and advocates to deliver petitions to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) and Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE).

The PSC approved BGE's multi-year rate hike plan, which authorized a series of rate increases between 2024 and 2026.

Cohen, along with other leaders, wants the PSC to halt the proposed distribution rates for 2026 and abandon the plan entirely.

Last month, Moore announced one-time grants to assist limited and middle-income customers in Maryland during anticipated increases in energy bills.

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