Governor Wes Moore attended the Accenture International Utilities and Energy Conference in Washington, D.C., where he emphasized clean energy as a driver of economic growth and sustainability, highlighting Maryland’s efforts to modernize infrastructure, expand renewable energy access, and balance environmental goals with affordability for ratepayers.
During a fireside chat with Exelon President and Chief Executive Officer Calvin Butler, the governor shared his perspective on leading the clean energy transformation; promoting clean energy as a means to promote economic growth and promoting sustainability in our energy sources.
“I knew that I could sum up what we needed to do in the State of Maryland in one word, and that was growth. We needed to make sure that our economy was growing. We needed to make sure that our economy was more competitive, and we needed to make sure that that growth was gonna be inclusive growth, And the thing that I always felt, and why this conversation around utilities and power became so important, was something had to power the growth. Something had to be the engine behind what we were getting going.”
“We really focused on how can we re-center the relationship that we have with our industry partners; do a better job of incentivizing people to be able to choose Maryland; come up with other additional avenues to be able to have grid enhancement and alternative sources while knowing that we can champion alternative sources and still do good things for consumers — but then also being able to listen and be a good partner with the industry about what is required.”
Governor Moore on energy affordability:
“I think we need to broaden our view of what clean energy actually is and how it correlates to the needs of our people. We can be a clean energy state while at the same time focusing on affordability for ratepayers — I don’t think those have to be conflicting ideas. I just think we have to have the right infrastructure to be able to make those individualized things happen. And so I do think it goes back into — how are we focusing on both, short term diversification of options that people have.”
Governor Moore on promoting critical infrastructure and sustainable growth:
“Maryland should be the place where you can have additional measurements of growth, but it takes a measure of intentionality.”
“Passing legislation and working with industry to be able to pass what that legislation looks like; being able to do a better job of site readiness and identification of which places in the state could build and build fast to get that kind of infrastructure in place; and having that partnership with our utility partners to know that they could then power that level of growth—those were the three ingredients that we needed to create the correct kind of formula for the type of economic growth that I believe deeply and strongly is going to help create within our state.”
Most recently, Governor Moore signed the Next Generation Energy Act into law, which will modernize the state’s energy infrastructure, promote more in-state generation, and address rising utility costs that burden Maryland families. The bill expanded financial support to reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions; established a procurement framework to advance nuclear energy and create more clean energy in the state; and will deliver meaningful relief to Maryland ratepayers, including a $200 million electricity bill credit directly to Maryland families.”