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Administration pitches 'Lower Bills and Local Power Act' with $70M gap funding and $100M bill rebates
Summary
State officials, including MEA Director Kelly Speaks Bachman, urged a favorable report for SB 386, which would fund in‑state solar and storage projects, require grid-enhancing technologies and offer $100 million in direct bill rebates, while senators pressed for targeting and long‑term fund sustainability.
Maryland Energy Administration Director Kelly Speaks Bachman told the Education, Energy and the Environment Committee that the governor’s SB 386 — dubbed the Lower Bills and Local Power Act — targets immediate relief and longer-term solutions to rising electricity costs.
"There are four key pillars," Speaks Bachman said, outlining measures to support local generation, modernize infrastructure, hold utilities accountable and deliver immediate relief. She described a proposed $70,000,000 solar gap‑funding program administered by MEA to bridge financing shortfalls after federal tax incentive changes, and a $100,000,000 direct bill‑rebate program to help ratepayers in…
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