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Western Maryland delegation votes to ask governor to appoint Public Service Commission member from region
Summary
The Western Maryland Legislative Delegation voted to send a letter asking the governor to appoint a Public Service Commission member who resides in Western Maryland, citing a lack of local representation since 1992 and upcoming regional projects before the commission.
The Western Maryland Legislative Delegation voted to send a letter to the governor asking that a vacant seat on the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) be filled by someone who resides in Western Maryland.
Delegation members said the PSC, a five-member board that regulates utilities and transmission decisions, has lacked representation from Western Maryland since 1992. "The law as written says that those members should broadly represent geographical and demographical, I guess, areas of our state," the chair said while introducing the item. Delegate Pippi said the region needs "a voice on that commission," citing forthcoming transmission and generation projects that the PSC will consider.
Why it matters: Delegation members said PSC decisions on transmission and generation affect Western Maryland’s communities and infrastructure and that geographic representation is required by state statute. They argued local representation would help ensure regional perspectives reach the commission as it reviews projects affecting Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Carroll and Frederick counties.
During the discussion some members suggested clarifying the letter to request an appointee who "resides in Western Maryland" rather than simply "from" the region, to prevent past interpretations—such as appointing someone who worked for a company servicing the region—from satisfying the statutory language. A senator supporting the motion said past appointments had effectively "checked the box" without providing a resident voice from the region.
Action taken: A senator moved to send the draft letter; Delegate Pippi seconded. The delegation approved the motion by voice vote with no members opposing. The chair said staff would complete final markups and get the letter out that day.
The delegation did not name a nominee; the letter asks the governor to consider appointing a Western Maryland resident in keeping with the statute that the PSC "shall be broadly representative of the geographic and demographic diversity of the state and the public," as cited in the meeting discussion. The delegation noted the last PSC appointee from the region was named in 1992 by former Governor William Donald Schaefer.
The delegation then shifted to a briefing from the Department of Legislative Services on state aid to local governments.
