EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 953
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By: Senators West, Carozza, Lewis Young, Ready, and Watson
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Construction and Expansion of Transmission Lines and Task Force to Develop a 2
Realistic Electricity Plan for Maryland 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Task Force to Develop a Realistic Electricity Plan for 4
Maryland to study and make recommendations on the State’s current and future 5
electricity needs under various scenarios; prohibiting the Public Service Commission 6
from approving the construction or expansion of transmission lines in the State 7
during a certain period of time; and generally relating to transmission lines and the 8
Task Force to Develop a Realistic Electricity Plan for Maryland. 9
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
That: 11
(a) There is a Task Force to Develop a Realistic Electricity Plan for Maryland. 12
(b) The Task Force consists of the following members: 13
(1) one member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 14
the Senate; 15
(2) one member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the 16
House; 17
(3) the Secretary of Agriculture, or the Secretary’s designee; 18
(4) the Secretary of the Environment, or the Secretary’s designee; 19
(5) the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration, or the Director’s 20
designee; 21
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(6) a member of the Public Service Commission, designated by the Chair of 1
the Public Service Commission; 2
(7) the People’s Counsel, or the People’s Counsel’s designee; 3
(8) a representative of PJM Interconnection, LLC, designated by PJM 4
Interconnection, LLC; 5
(9) a representative of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, designated by 6
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company; 7
(10) a representative of Constellation Energy Corporation, designated by 8
Constellation Energy Corporation; 9
(11) a representative of Potomac Electric Power Company, designated by 10
Potomac Electric Power Company; 11
(12) a representative of Potomac Edison, designated by Potomac Edison; 12
(13) a representative of Delmarva Power, designated by Delmarva Power; 13
(14) a representative of Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative , 14
designated by Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative; 15
(15) a representative of an independent electricity generation company, 16
designated by the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration; 17
(16) a representative of the agricultural community, designated by the 18
Maryland Farm Bureau; 19
(17) a representative of the public with expertise in energy, appointed by the 20
Governor; 21
(18) two representatives of environmental nonprofit organizations, one 22
appointed by the President of the Senate and one appointed by the Speaker of the House; 23
and 24
(19) two representatives of Maryland ratepayers, one appointed by the 25
President of the Senate and one appointed by the Speaker of the House. 26
(c) The members of the Task Force shall elect the chair of the Task Force. 27
(d) (1) The Maryland Energy Administration shall provide staff for the Task 28
Force. 29
(2) The Task Force, through the Maryland Energy Administration, may 30
hire an independent consultant to assist in its work. 31 SENATE BILL 953 3
(e) A member of the Task Force: 1
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Task Force; but 2
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 3
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 4
(f) The Task Force shall: 5
(1) using the State’s energy policies as of July 1, 2025, for each of years 6
2026, 2030, 2035, and 2040, assemble and study realistic current: 7
(i) forecasts for the State’s electricity needs; 8
(ii) estimates of the percentage of electricity imported from out of 9
State; and 10
(iii) estimates of the cost of electricity purchased through the capacity 11
market that would be included in the monthly electric bills of Maryland ratepayers; 12
(2) for each of years 2030, 2035, and 2040, assemble and study realistic 13
current estimates of the cost of electricity purchased through the capacity market that 14
would be included in the monthly electric bills of Maryland ratepayers if the State imported 15
no more than 25% of the electricity needed to meet the State’s electricity demand; 16
(3) consider policy options and make recommendations for legislation that 17
would ensure the State purchases, in 2030, 2035, and 2040, no more than 25% of its 18
electricity from out–of–state sources; and 19
(4) consider policy options and make recommendations to ensure the 20
reliability and adequacy of the electricity available to Maryland ratepayers and businesses 21
through 2040. 22
(g) The policy options considered by the Task Force shall include: 23
(1) the expansion of nuclear energy generation in the State; 24
(2) the expansion of renewable energy resources in the State; 25
(3) the prioritization of energy storage facilities in the State; and 26
(4) upgrades and enhancements to transmission systems in the State as 27
they exist on July 1, 2025. 28
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(h) On or before December 31, 2025, the Task Force shall report its findings and 1
recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 2
Government Article, the General Assembly. 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That , beginning July 1, 2025, 4
through May 1, 2026, the Public Service Commission may not issue a certificate of public 5
convenience and necessity or otherwise approve the construction or expansion of any 6
transmission lines in the State. 7
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 8
1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the end of June 30, 2026, this 9
Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no 10
further force and effect. 11