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Senate adopts wide-ranging utility package after partisan debate over $12.50 monthly relief
Summary
After hours of debate over whether the package delivers meaningful relief, the Maryland Senate adopted the conference committee report on House Bill 15‑32, a 100–210 page utility and energy package that leaders say blends short‑term relief with long‑term market reforms; the report passed by roll call.
The Maryland Senate adopted the conference committee report on House Bill 15‑32 — a comprehensive utilities and energy package — after several hours of floor debate about how much immediate relief it delivers to ratepayers.
The conference report was introduced by the chair of the conference committee, who told the Senate the package consolidates numerous provisions the chamber had previously passed. The chair described the bill as a layered approach that includes short‑term adjustments to the EMPOWER surcharge, new consumer transparency and guardrails for data centers, changes to net‑metering and community‑solar rules, reconciliation processes tied to multi‑year ratemaking, and a reverse‑auction mechanism to direct Alternative Compliance Payment (ACP) funds into in‑state generation projects.
The minority leader pressed the point repeatedly that the headline short‑term relief publicized by the governor and other leaders — $12.50 a month (about $150 per year)…
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