Senators on Tuesday advanced a comprehensive package of energy policies for a final vote of passage, with supporters saying that the measures will eventually decrease Maryland’s reliance on neighboring states for energy production and bring relief to ratepayers. “We have a supply-demand imbalance,” said Senator Brian Feldman, who chairs the Senate committee on energy and the environment. “There’s been consensus during the course of the session that we need to generate more in-state.” He contended that the plan to produce more energy in-state will lead to fewer transmission lines and, in time, lower utility costs for ratepayers.
Energy reliance: Maryland, which belongs to a regional grid comprising 13 states and Washington, D.C., already imports roughly 40 percent of its electricity from other states. Producing more, diversified energy here at home will benefit residents, businesses and the state’s economic standing overall.
