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Committee amends and advances bill renaming RPS to clean energy standard and adding nuclear for accounting
Summary
House Bill 505, reprinted and amended, renames the renewable portfolio standard as a clean energy portfolio standard and adds nuclear generation to the accounting for the standard; committee adopted amendments narrowing the bill to that change and advanced the measure.
The Economic Matters Committee amended and advanced House Bill 505, which renames Maryland’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) the Clean Energy Portfolio Standard and incorporates nuclear energy into the state’s accounting for clean energy goals. Committee discussion and amendments narrowed the bill so that the text retained primarily the inclusion of nuclear energy for accounting purposes.
Committee staff told members the bill’s amendments “strike most of the bill except for what was just mentioned,” meaning the core change was to count nuclear generation when measuring progress toward the renamed clean energy standard. Staff said the amendment does not place nuclear into a tier 1 or tier 2 renewable bucket and does not create a subsidy; instead the change is “for accounting purposes” so that the state can attribute nuclear‑generated electricity toward clean‑energy goals.
Members asked whether the numerical goals in the statute changed; staff said any numeric changes in the clean energy percentages are only to account for the inclusion of nuclear and that the Public Service Commission (PSC) has a clause to adjust targets to reflect actual in‑state nuclear generation. A question arose about whether in‑state generation is required; staff clarified counting is for end‑state (in‑state) generation only.
Votes and outcome After a brief hearing earlier in the session, the committee later took up the reprint and, following the adoption of the amendment, moved the bill as amended and recorded a favorable vote in committee.
Context Members noted the bill has been the subject of negotiation with other measures concerning generation procurement; committee staff and PSC staff answered technical clarifying questions about whether existing nuclear plants would automatically meet any new accounting goals (they would not receive new credits for past output absent upgrades).
Attribution Bill summaries and technical clarifications are from committee staff and PSC staff who testified during the hearing. Members’ questions are quoted from the committee record.
