Utilities
Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Termination of Electric or Gas Service - Prohibition [HB-1533]
[Energy ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Public Safety ]
Prohibiting a public service company from terminating, under specified circumstances, electric or gas service to a residential customer during a severe weather period for a severe weather event and on specified days; prohibiting a public service company, on receipt of a specified request or subsequent request, from terminating, under specified circumstances, electric or gas service to a residential customer for 30 days beyond a scheduled termination of service date under specified circumstances; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Diana Fennell
Unfavorable Report By House Rules And Executive Nominations; Withdrawn on 03/08/2017
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Gettr Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Gas and Electric Companies - Deposit Charges [SB-1082]
[Energy ]
[Senior Citizens ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Public Health ]
Prohibiting a gas company or an electric company from imposing a specified deposit requirement on customers who are at least 65 years old and have an annual income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level; prohibiting a gas company or an electric company from terminating specified service for failure to pay all or part of a deposit under specified circumstances; and providing for the application of the Act.
Sponsored by: Sen. James Rosapepe
Unfavorable Report By Finance; Withdrawn on 03/23/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Environment - Water and Sewer and Solid Waste Management Plan Approval [SB-1040]
[Environmental ]
[Waste Management / Recycling ]
[Water ]
Reducing the number of days from 90 to 60 that the Department of the Environment has to take specified actions on a proposed county plan or a proposed revision or amendment to a county plan; reducing the number of days from 90 to 45 for an extension of a specified review period; authorizing an additional extension of time for a specified review period, subject to specified notice requirements; requiring a written notice to include specified information; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Johnny Salling
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 387 on 05/04/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Requirements - Standard Offer Service [SB-1043]
[Energy ]
[Environmental ]
[Public Health ]
Requiring an electric company to contract for specified renewable energy credits and electricity generated from specified Tier 1 renewable sources to meet at least 25% of the renewable energy portfolio standard for the electricity that the electric company provides to specified customers beginning in 2018; requiring an electric company to solicit bids for a specified contract from specified renewable energy facilities; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. James Rosapepe
Hearing 3/21 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/21/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Task Force on Electric Power Grid Security [HB-1454]
[Energy ]
[Cybersecurity ]
[Technology and Innovation ]
[Public Safety ]
[National Security ]
Establishing the Task Force on Electric Power Grid Security; providing for the composition, chair, and staffing of the Task Force; prohibiting a member of the Task Force from receiving specified compensation, but authorizing the reimbursement of specified expenses; requiring the Task Force to study and make recommendations regarding specified matters; requiring the Task Force to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2018; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Neil Parrott
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/14/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Calvert County - Personal Property Tax - Exemption [HB-1426]
[Property Tax ]
[Taxes ]
Exempting specified personal property from the Calvert County property tax beginning on the date on which Dominion Resources, Inc. makes its first payment in lieu of taxes payment to Calvert County; providing that specified personal property remains subject to the Calvert County property tax; providing that specified personal property subject to a payment in lieu of taxes agreement shall be subject to the Calvert County property tax on the termination of the agreement; applying the Act to all taxable years beginning after June 30, 2017; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Mark Fisher
Hearing 3/03 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/03/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Gas and Electric Companies - Deposit Charges [HB-1473]
[Energy ]
[Senior Citizens ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Public Health ]
Prohibiting a gas company or an electric company from imposing a specified deposit requirement on customers who are at least 65 years old and have an annual income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level; prohibiting a gas company or an electric company from terminating specified service for failure to pay all or part of a deposit under specified circumstances; and providing for the application of the Act.
Sponsored by: Rep. Herbert McMillan
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/14/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Telephone Companies - Wired Broadband (Wired Broadband Act of 2017) [HB-1313]
[Telecommunications ]
[Technology and Innovation ]
[Infrastructure ]
[Funding ]
Requiring a specified telephone company to provide and maintain wired broadband service or pay the cost of providing wired broadband service to the Rural Broadband Assistance Fund; requiring the Public Service Commission, to the extent authorized under federal law, to cooperate with the Federal Communications Commission on efforts to promote universal wired broadband access in the State; and requiring the Commission to make a specified annual report and recommendations to the General Assembly on or before January 31 each year.
Sponsored by: Rep. Seth Howard
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/16/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Gas and Electricity - Smart Meters - Customer Rights and Required Reports [HB-1406]
[Energy ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Public Health ]
[Technology and Innovation ]
[Data Privacy ]
[Public Safety ]
Requiring a utility company to give specified written notice to specified customers prior to deploying smart meters throughout all or a portion of the utility company's service territory; prohibiting a utility company from imposing any additional fee or charge on a specified customer who refuses installation of a smart meter or requests removal of a smart meter; requiring the Public Service Commission and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to make specified reports regarding smart meters; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Joseph Vallario
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/18/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Gas and Electricity - Analog Meters - Purchase and Installation [HB-1419]
[Energy ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Public Safety ]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to authorize a customer of a gas company or an electric company to purchase and install an analog meter; requiring the meter to comply with specified standards; requiring a gas company or an electric company to install the meter or allow specified persons to install the meter at the customer's request; providing that an analog meter may replace a different type of meter; prohibiting a gas company or an electric company from requiring the customer to install additional controls; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Carolyn Howard
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/18/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Revisions [HB-1457]
[Energy ]
[Environmental ]
Increasing the renewable energy portfolio standard percentage derived from Tier 1 renewable sources for specified years; increasing the minimum required percentage of Tier 1 renewable energy that must be derived from solar energy in the State's renewable energy portfolio standard for specified years; altering the calculation for determining the amount of credit that an electricity supplier receives toward meeting the renewable energy portfolio standard for energy derived from solar photovoltaic systems of specified sizes; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Luke Clippinger
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters; Withdrawn on 03/14/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Residential Copper Landline Replacement - Moratorium and Study [HB-1221]
[Telecommunications ]
[Technology and Innovation ]
[Consumer Protection ]
Prohibiting a telephone company that provides specified service from replacing specified copper landline service with optical fiber cable or Voice over Internet Protocol, subject to an exception; and requiring the Public Service Commission to report its findings and recommendations on specified matters to specified committees of the General Assembly on or before December 1, 2021.
Sponsored by: Rep. Carolyn Howard
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/15/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Requirements - Standard Offer Service [HB-1452]
[Energy ]
[Environmental ]
[Public Health ]
Requiring an electric company to contract for specified renewable energy credits and electricity generated from Tier 1 renewable sources to meet at least 25% of the renewable energy portfolio standard for electricity that the electric company provides to specified customers beginning in 2018; requiring an electric company to solicit bids for a specified contract from specified renewable energy facilities; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Luke Clippinger
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters; Withdrawn on 04/08/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Electricity - Construction of Overhead Transmission Lines - Condemnation Authority [HB-1308]
[Energy ]
[Infrastructure ]
[Construction ]
[Public Safety ]
[Real Estate ]
[Telecommunications ]
Authorizing a person to which a specified certificate of public convenience and necessity is issued for the construction of a specified overhead transmission line to acquire specified property or rights by condemnation; and applying the Act to the construction of an overhead transmission line for which a certificate of public convenience and necessity is required.
Sponsored by: Rep. Talmadge Branch
First Reading Senate Rules on 04/10/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Application for Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity - Consistency With Comprehensive Plan [HB-1350]
[Energy ]
[Public Safety ]
[Construction ]
Requiring the Public Service Commission, rather than the Department of Planning, to provide a copy of application materials for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to each specified unit of local government in which the construction of a generating station is proposed to be located and to specified public officials; requiring the Commission to take final action on the application only after due consideration of the consistency of the application with the jurisdiction's comprehensive plan and zoning; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Kathy Afzali
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 392 on 05/04/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Telephone Lifeline Service - Revisions [HB-999]
[Telecommunications ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Human Services ]
[Poverty ]
Providing that a specified local telephone company provide "lifeline" to qualifying low-income consumers under specified circumstances; repealing a requirement that a telephone company charge an eligible subscriber a percentage of a specified tariff under specified circumstances; requiring the Department of Human Resources to provide specified information to local telephone companies to the extent allowed by State law in addition to federal law and until specified eligibility is determined; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Dereck Davis
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 532 on 05/04/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Electric Cooperatives - Rate Regulation - Fixed Charges for Distribution System Costs [HB-996]
[Energy ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Public Safety ]
Authorizing an electric cooperative to propose a fixed charge for specified fixed costs; requiring the fixed charge to be applied in a specified manner; prohibiting an electric cooperative from proposing an increase to a fixed charge that is more than $2.50 greater than the fixed charge in effect 1 year before the effective date of the proposed increase; specifying the manner in which an electric cooperative may propose a fixed charge; applying the Act prospectively; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Sally Jameson
Hearing 2/23 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/23/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Electric Universal Service Program - Unexpended Funds [HB-1002]
[Energy ]
[Funding ]
[Human Services ]
[Public Health ]
[Budget and Spending ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Poverty ]
Providing that the Public Service Commission has oversight responsibility over specified expenditures of the electric universal service program; requiring the Department of Human Resources to expend specified funds in specified fiscal years for specified purposes, including bill assistance and arrearage retirement, targeted weatherization, or arrearage management; stating the intent of the General Assembly regarding the timing for expending specified unexpended bill assistance and arrearage funds; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Dereck Davis
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 777 on 05/25/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
St. Mary's County - Bonds and Other Evidences of Indebtedness - Limitations and Repayment [HB-1055]
[Finance ]
[Budget and Spending ]
[Community Development ]
Altering specified limits on debt in St. Mary's County; subjecting specified bonds and other evidences of indebtedness issued under the authority of the St. Mary's County Sanitary Commission Act to a specified limitation; and requiring the responsibility for repayment to remain with the St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission.
Sponsored by: Rep.
Hearing 3/30 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/30/2018
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Electric Universal Service Program - Unexpended Funds [SB-966]
[Energy ]
[Budget and Spending ]
[Public Health ]
[Human Services ]
[Poverty ]
Providing that the Public Service Commission has oversight responsibility over specified expenditures of the electric universal service program; requiring the Department of Human Resources to expend specified funds collected for the program in specified fiscal years for specified purposes, including bill assistance and arrearage retirement, targeted weatherization, or arrearage management; and stating the intent of the General Assembly regarding the timing for expending specified unexpended bill assistance and arrearage funds.
Sponsored by: Sen. Thomas Middleton
Hearing 3/07 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/07/2018