Annapolis, MD — Governor Wes Moore, Senate President Bill Ferguson, and House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk today announced an agreement to advance the Utility RELIEF Act through final passage to lower energy bills for Marylanders. During a press conference at the State House, the leaders confirmed that the landmark energy legislation—which will save Maryland families at least $150 on their energy bills every year—is on track for final passage by the conclusion of the 2026 legislative session.
“While the White House is focused on foreign wars, ballrooms, and the Masters, we in Maryland have spent these past weeks laser-focused on the single most important thing: making life more affordable for our people,” said Gov. Moore. “Amid soaring energy prices, we are not waiting for Washington to act; we are delivering relief now. The bipartisan Utility RELIEF Act is about taking control of the things we can control—pushing every lever to put money back in people’s pockets, and holding utility companies accountable. Our people demand action, and in Maryland, we are here to deliver that for them.”
The Utility RELIEF Act reflects a unified strategy between the Moore-Miller Administration and the Maryland General Assembly to protect Maryland families from rising energy costs. The legislation provides immediate energy bill relief, modernizes Maryland’s grid infrastructure, and addresses the growing energy demands of the emerging technology sector by increasing accountability for data center development. Under the new requirements, data centers must cover the costs of their own energy infrastructure upgrades, neutralizing their impact on Maryland’s grid and preventing costs from being passed on to Maryland families.
“Marylanders are reeling from unacceptably high energy bills as corporations are too often putting profits over the people they serve, and regional and federal entities have insufficiently kept pace with the rapid increase in the demand of electricity as supply steadily decreased,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson. “The Utility RELIEF Act takes a systematic approach to the levers available to the State of Maryland, and makes immense policy changes in those areas so none of our residents are forced to choose between keeping the lights on and paying for their medication.”
“Easing the burden on ratepayers has been my top priority this session, and I’m proud that we have a Utility RELIEF Act that truly lives up to its name—delivering real relief for Maryland families right now and reforming the system to achieve greater savings and reliability in the years to come,” said House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk. “This process hasn’t always been easy, but the voters who sent us here expect us to do hard things. We could not have achieved this victory without the outstanding leadership of Chairman Korman, and I also deeply appreciate the partnership of Governor Moore, President Ferguson, Chairman Feldman, and many others. This was a team effort, proving once again that it really does take a village.”
Other key provisions of the Utility RELIEF Act include:
- Energy Bill Relief: The bill allocates $100 million from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to offset utility fees and lower energy bills for Marylanders, and temporarily adjusts near-term EmPOWER goals to ensure a sustainable trajectory while recognizing real-world challenges around high-utility costs.
- Renewable Energy Investment: The legislation leverages $100 million from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to establish an annual bidding process for local clean energy projects administered by the Maryland Energy Administration. The bill also streamlines permitting for residential clean energy projects to support reliable energy options.
- Grid Modernization: To modernize Maryland’s transmission infrastructure, the Utility RELIEF Act requires utility companies to consider advanced transmission technologies and grid-enhancing technologies. These modern technologies are designed to increase the capacity and efficiency of existing transmission lines—increasing reliability and driving down costs for ratepayers. The act also establishes a reporting process to the Public Service Commission for identifying economic and implementation feasibility of these technologies in Maryland.
- Utility Accountability: To increase accountability to Maryland ratepayers, the bill requires utility companies to inform customers about rate changes and prohibits utility companies from filing reconciliation requests that would impose additional charges on Marylanders. The bill also requires the Public Service Commission to conduct a study on rate-setting practices and caps the amount of investor-owned utility executive salaries that can be passed on to Maryland families. These provisions are in addition to eliminating the current 0.5% Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) participation incentive, saving Maryland families an estimated $20 million annually.
“This is a shared victory for every ratepayer in Maryland, demonstrating what is possible when the legislative and executive branches are fully aligned,” said Senator Brian J. Feldman. “Together, we are holding big companies accountable, investing in a cleaner energy future, and delivering relief necessary to protect Maryland families from rising energy costs.”
“For too long, the scales have been tipped in favor of utility companies and away from Maryland families,” said Delegate Marc A. Korman. “The Utility RELIEF Act helps restore the balance by capping the amount of executive salaries that can be passed on to ratepayers instead of paid for by corporate profits and ending the era of blank-check rate requests based on speculative spending. We are making it clear: utility companies must be accountable to the people they serve, not just their bottom line. I am grateful to Speaker Peña-Melnyk, Subcommittee Chair Fraser-Hidalgo, and of course our partners Governor Moore and Senate President Ferguson, for their work in delivering this essential legislation for all Marylanders.”
“The Utility RELIEF Act will deliver real benefits for Marylanders when we really need it over the short-, medium- and long-term,” said Maryland Energy Administration Director Kelly Speakes-Backman. “Consistent with the energy strategy of Governor Moore and in partnership with the Maryland General Assembly, we will get to work quickly to save Marylanders on their energy bills; promote local, clean energy generation; and increase transparency and accountability for data center development and utilities across our state.”
