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Md. House rejects floor amendment that would itemize charges on electric bills
Summary
The Maryland House of Delegates debated an amendment to House Bill 1 that would require utilities to itemize and explain charges on electric bills. Supporters said it would give consumers clarity on surcharges and taxes; opponents called for a full committee hearing and raised implementation concerns. The amendment failed and a motion to recommit also failed.
ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland House of Delegates on Feb. 4 debated a floor amendment to House Bill 1 that would require electric bills to list and explain individual charges, but members voted the amendment down after extended debate about scope, cost and process.
The amendment’s sponsor (Delegate 10), who identified the change as a consumer-transparency measure, said the proposal would force bills to show “an itemization and an explanation of all charges on your bill,” including surcharges and fees such as the Empower surcharge, an environmental per-kilowatt-hour fee and costs tied to grid infrastructure and regional programs. “That is really important,” the sponsor said on the floor, arguing that many charges are effectively taxes passed to ratepayers and that itemization would let constituents “have an intelligent conversation with their elected officials…
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