Bill would require Maryland utilities to disclose how they vote in PJM stakeholder subcommittees

Delegate Lorie Charcutian told the committee HB 121 seeks to require Maryland‑regulated utilities to disclose how they vote in PJM’s lower‑level stakeholder committees, putting those votes on an annual report to the Public Service Commission. “The way that decisions get made at PJM is there’s higher level committees that are public… but before a proposal can get to those higher level committees it has to go through lower level committees and the votes at the lower level committees are not public at all,” Charcutian said.

Supporters said the lack of transparency can hide how incumbent utilities and generators shape market rules that affect reliability, transmission planning and customer bills. Clara Summers, campaign manager for Consumers for a Better Grid, said the stakeholder process can influence major issues — for example, the planning for Brandon Shores retirements and transmission planning — but votes in subcommittees are not recorded or reported.

David Lapp of the Office of the People’s Counsel said Maryland utilities have substantial influence in PJM and that decisions in subcommittees have contributed to outcomes that raise customer costs; he cited recent capacity‑market and transmission disputes brought to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Tammy Bresnahan of AARP Maryland said transparency matters to ratepayers who face rising bills and limited capacity to track hundreds of meetings.

Witnesses and the sponsor said the bill is narrowly focused on disclosure of votes by utilities the state regulates and would not directly change PJM rules or FERC jurisdiction. Committee members asked whether similar bills have advanced in other states; witnesses said several states introduced versions last year and a few more plan bills this session, but none had passed as of testimony. No formal vote on HB 121 was recorded during the hearing; proponents asked for a favorable report to advance the proposal.