MARYLAND (WBFF) — While Senate lawmakers continue to discuss the Utility RELIEF Act, a sweeping piece of energy legislation aimed to provide some relief to customers, advocates on Monday called on lawmakers to protect the EmPower Maryland program, which is an energy efficiency program.
“It’s a program that reduces greenhouse gas emissions across the state. It’s a program that lowers energy bills for all Maryland ratepayers through the benefits to the aggregate grid by reducing the amount of energy that we use,” Brittany Baker, the Maryland Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said. “Last but not least, it’s a program that reduces energy costs for specific households when they participate in the program by getting services such as free quick home energy checkups, weatherization services, HVAC rebates, and other very important services that lowers bills for households.”
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“The specific thing we’re calling for right now is for the Senate not to have further cuts,” Baker said.
The energy bill recently passed in the House and now is being debated by lawmakers in the Senate. The bill makes short term changes to the EmPower program designed to provide some immediate relief of at least $150 annually. Democratic lawmakers have argued that the temporary tweaks won’t undercut the overall goals of the program.
“It rolls back the goal a little bit,” Delegate Marc Korman, Chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee, said. “Instead of the goal going up next year, it’s going to go down. It eliminates gas EmPower entirely.”
However, advocates and business owners on Monday voiced concern about cuts to the program, arguing it could hurt hurt industry workers and lead to higher prices.
“I feel that this is low hanging fruit, and this is to appease voters,” Sean Mallonee, the president of the Heating & Air Conditioning Contractors of Maryland trade association, said.
“The governor is saying, said it on record, that he feels that this…bill is going to drop people’s annual utility bills by $150,” he added. “When we do our home performance program, when we install high efficiency HVAC systems, which are the largest driver of this. This is, in a lot of cases, dropping people’s bills by over $1,000 a year. So compare $1,000 a year versus $150 a year. It’s a no brainer.
While not every Marylander sees cost savings in that amount, on the other side of the aisle, Republicans have called to eliminate the EmPower program entirely, arguing that could save more on a customer’s monthly energy bill – a push that has not been successful so far.
“I think it’s a move in the right direction. Certainly, you could save more rate payer money if you eliminated EmPower,” House Minority Leader Del. Jason Buckel said.
“People already have more efficient light bulbs in their houses than people who want them. People who want it have already weatherized their houses. All this is doing, as Senator Hershey said, is taking ratepayer money and moving it around and lying to you and telling you that they’re saving your own money. It’s your money,” he added.
As of Monday afternoon, the Senate Education Energy, and the Environment Committee has not yet voted on the bill.
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