Bill > SB270

This bill requires the Public Service Commission, a state agency that regulates utilities, to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the full costs and benefits associated with different sources of electricity generation in Maryland. This analysis will examine various electricity generation mixes, including natural gas at its current capacity, nuclear energy at its current capacity, and a significant amount of offshore wind energy, specifically 8,500 megawatts. The bill mandates that the analysis account for the additional costs needed to address reliability issues and the intermittent nature of offshore wind power, and it will utilize a specific model called the Levelized Full System Cost of Electricity to evaluate scenarios where the state's electricity needs are met solely by combinations of natural gas or nuclear energy with energy storage, or solely by offshore wind energy with energy storage. Furthermore, the analysis will assess the costs of these energy sources when energy storage is available to mitigate reliability and intermittency challenges, and it will conclude with policy recommendations aimed at promoting the development of energy sources that offer the lowest costs and greatest advantages to electricity consumers, known as ratepayers. The Public Service Commission must present its findings and recommendations to the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment and the House Environment and Transportation Committee by December 1, 2027.

Education

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0270?ys=2026RS