MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland residents opening their energy bill this month, may notice a roughly $40 legislative energy relief refund show up as a credit.
This marks the second refund credit, which was part of legislation lawmakers in Annapolis passed last year. According to officials, the payment will be issued during February and March, and will be credited to your energy bill. The first credit was issued last August or September. The total amount you are credited will depend on your overall energy usage.
ALSO READ | Energy affordability solutions up for debate in Annapolis
With Marylanders still facing high energy bills, as part of his legislative proposal, Gov. Wes Moore is proposing another energy rebate, which would roughly be the same amount.
“This year, I’ve introduced legislation to build on that foundation with an additional $100 million in energy rebates,” Gov. Moore said during his recent State of the State address. “That’s $100 million that is going directly back into the pockets of hard-working Marylanders who need it now.”
While the governor’s proposed legislation has yet to pass, some Republicans have been critical of the newly announced rebate amid rising energy bills, calling it a “slap in the face.”
“$100 million of relief he’ll talk about, that’s a pittance. He’s taking hundreds of millions [of dollars] out of the same fund just to plug budget holes from his wasteful spending,” Sen. Justin Ready said.
The money for the proposal is coming from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, a fund designed to make Maryland’s energy more affordable, cleaner and reliable. This fund is made up of payments from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a program designed to reduce emissions, as well as alternative compliance payments from Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. When applicable, funding from utility settlements overseen by the Maryland Public Service Commission may also contribute.
“RGGI costs are imposed on generators, and whether those generators set a clearing price in the PJM energy markets will depend on whether ratepayers actually see higher costs as a result of RGGI. Sometimes that happens and sometimes it may not,” David Lapp, with the Office of the People’s Counsel, said.
“The alternative compliance payment costs and the RGGI costs, when they are reflected in a customer’s bill, will show up in the supply portion of the customer bill,” Lapp later added.
Increased supply prices have played a large role in rising energy bills, largely driven by data center forecasts and a large amount of demand from data centers that has been projected. The results of a 2024 capacity auction by PJM, the regional grid operator caused prices to spike. Distribution fees set by utility companies have also increased.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have introduced legislation this session, attempting to lower prices and address affordability concerns.
Local Story
