(WBFF) — Governor Wes Moore delivered his State of the State address Wednesday, where he talked about energy affordability and his plan to lower costs in the state. However, Republicans were quick to fire back, critical of the Governor’s proposals.
“To all Marylanders who are worried about skyrocketing energy prices, I am here to say in a loud and a collective voice: We hear you, and help is on the way,” Gov. Moore said.
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Gov. Moore talked about the legislation he recently introduced which, in part, would allocate $100 million for energy rebates, on top of money allocated last year for energy rebates. That would mean Marylanders would get another roughly $40 energy rebate.
“That’s $100 million that is going directly back into the pockets of hard-working Marylanders who need it now,” Gov. Moore said.
Republicans such as Senator Justin Ready have been critical of the rebate.
“It took him 30 minutes to even mention energy, and then his plan for energy is just more of nothing. $100 million of relief he’ll talk about, that’s a pittance, he’s taking hundreds of millions out of the same fund just to plug budget holes from his wasteful spending,” Ready said.
During his speech, Gov. Wes Moore also said it was time to “double down” on solar, wind and energy storage. “That’s where the jobs are. That’s where many of the shovel-ready projects are,” he said.
“The Maryland Energy Administration’s Community Solar Program is already helping add 78 megawatts of solar to the grid. It’s going to cut utility bills for at least 10,500 low and moderate-income Marylanders. So now, we need to scale up,” he added.
Governor Moore also said the state needs to continue building an “all of the above approach,” which includes natural gas and nuclear power. When asked to what extent the Governor supports expanding natural gas in the state, a spokesperson from his office said:
The Governor has made clear that Maryland needs a diverse portfolio of generation and recognizes that natural gas currently accounts for over 40% of in-state generation. As Maryland moves towards its clean energy future, natural gas will continue to play an important role during the transition. While the Trump administration pauses projects that could increase supply and lower costs for Marylanders, Governor Moore is taking action to support clean energy projects in Maryland that are reliable, affordable, and can come online very quickly. That is why the Governor included over $300M in his budget for clean energy projects and prioritized gap financing for shovel-ready clean energy projects like solar and storage.
In the Republican State of the State response, Senate Minority leader Steve Hershey responded to concerns about energy supply and affordability.
“One of the clearest examples of failed Democrat leadership is energy policy,” Sen. Hershey said. “Marylanders now pay some of the highest electric rates in the country, not because of storms, not because of global markets, but because of political decisions made in Annapolis. This administration shut down reliable, affordable generation, while forcing Maryland to depend on out of state power, power we now buy at higher prices. We replaced common sense energy policy with mandates that sound good in press releases, but hit families in their wallets every single month.”
With projected data centers driving up demand for energy, Gov. Moore said “I am announcing that in order to receive my support, new data center projects must hire local workers, they must engage local government and communities, and they must cover the cost of their own power needs.”
When asked for more specific details, a spokesperson from his office said in a statement:
Governor Moore believes that Maryland is poised to expand its national leadership in the innovation economy, and it’s no surprise that data center developers look to Maryland for expansion and growth. However, the Administration has always maintained that this industry’s growth should be managed responsibly and not burden Maryland families and small businesses. That is why the Governor made it clear that the Administration will only support new data center construction projects that demonstrate a commitment to Maryland’s workforce by hiring local workers, collaborating with local stakeholders to address concerns and community impacts, and covering the cost of their own power needs, including bringing new generation to support their demand. We are looking forward to partnering with members of the General Assembly to support our goal.
In a statement from Exelon Utilities, including BGE, a spokesperson said:
BGE, Delmarva Power and Pepco commend Governor Wes Moore for outlining a bold, pragmatic, and “all-in” energy strategy during his State of the State address today. The Governor’s call to “work together to bring more energy to Maryland” and his recognition that “we can’t depend on other states” underscores a critical reality: Maryland must strengthen its in-state generation to protect reliability and affordability for customers. His commitment to doubling down on solar, wind, and battery storage, alongside the need for dispatchable natural gas and nuclear generation, reflects the balanced, all-of-the-above approach required to meet growing demand.
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