Posted on 03/15/26
| News Source: FOX45
Annapolis, MD - Mar. 15, 2026 - Maryland officials announced the Utility RELIEF Act, described as a comprehensive legislative package to lower energy bills for residents.
The legislation is said to incorporate elements from the governor's proposed Lower Bills and Local Energy Act and represents a unified strategy between the Moore Administration and the Maryland General Assembly to generate more energy in the state and hold big utility companies accountable.
The plan is also expected to save Maryland families at least $150 on their energy bills every year.
The Utility RELIEF (Reducing Energy Load Inflation on Everyday Families) will use over $200 million from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to secure local clean energy generation, modernize the state's electric grid, and lower energy bills.
Marylanders deserve energy bills they can afford. But because of the Trump-Vance administration’s actions and failures by regional operators like PJM, too many families are seeing skyrocketing utility costs—and that is unacceptable,” said Governor Moore. “That is why we are taking action where we can: holding utility companies accountable, moving faster to build new energy generation, and delivering $100 million to lower energy bills for Maryland families. While Washington keeps making life harder for working people, we are staying focused on the issues that matter - lowering costs, making Maryland more affordable, and protecting Maryland families.
“Our Utility RELIEF (Reducing Energy Load Inflation for Everyday Families) Act will provide Maryland ratepayers at least $150 in annual savings while holding utilities and data centers accountable, strengthening the long-term reliability of our energy system, incentivizing new generation, and reaffirming our commitment to achieving our clean energy goals,” said House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk. “Savings from this bill will make life more affordable for all Marylanders. We are delivering on our affordability, accountability, and opportunity agenda.”
House Minority Leader Jason Buckel and House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy today issued the following statement in response to the Annapolis Democrats’ new energy package:
“Skyrocketing energy costs are affecting almost every Maryland family and making it impossible for our businesses to compete. Maryland Democrats’ extreme and unrealistic ‘green energy’ policies have made our state unaffordable for many of our citizens, while doing very little to affect any asserted global climate change concerns.
There are a few elements of this new mega bill that make sense and, frankly, finally give credence to what our Republican Caucus has been saying for years – we cannot afford the multiple surcharges and artificial taxes and costs tacked on to everyone’s monthly energy bills. However, the bill does not go very far in dealing with affordability issues in the short term, nor does it address the long-term supply and demand issues that present a massive threat to Maryland’s grid reliability, energy costs, and our ability to grow our tech sector and related industries.
Fundamentally, this bill is too little, but hopefully it is not too late. We can, and must, do better for our citizens.”