On Thursday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, and Maryland House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk announced the proposed Utility RELIEF Act, a legislative package aimed at lowering energy bills for Maryland residents while strengthening oversight of utility companies and expanding energy generation.
Officials say the plan could reduce average household energy costs by at least $150 per year and would direct $100 million from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund toward refunds for ratepayers.
The legislation also includes measures to support local clean energy generation, modernize the state’s electric grid, and increase oversight of utility spending. Additional provisions would require large energy users such as data centers to pay for their own infrastructure upgrades and streamline assistance programs for lower-income households. State leaders say the broader package would mobilize more than $200 million to help expand energy supply, improve reliability, and reduce long-term costs for Maryland consumers.
