Utility Regulation
Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Healthy Climate Initiative [SB-702]
Establishing a Healthy Climate Initiative in the Department of the Environment for certain purposes; requiring the Secretary of the Environment to administer certain schedules of greenhouse gas pollution charges; requiring the Secretary to delegate certain collection and rebate functions to the Comptroller; requiring the Comptroller to carry out certain functions; requiring the collection of a certain greenhouse gas pollution charge on certain fuels and certain greenhouse gas-emitting priorities for certain purposes; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Paul Pinsky
Hearing 3/05 At 1:00 P.m. (finance) on 02/11/2019
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Gettr Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Transportation Network Companies - Insurance [SB-701]
Authorizing the Motor Vehicle Administration to accept a certain form of security from a transportation network company in place of a certain insurance policy if the other form of security adequately provides certain benefits and if the transportation network company is an affiliate of a company that provides taxicab services and has no fewer than 26 nor more than 300 operators; requiring transportation network companies to provide evidence of certain security to the Public Service Commission under certain circumstances; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Benjamin Kramer
Vetoed By The Governor (duplicative) on 05/24/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Electric Industry - Community Choice Aggregation [SB-660]
Repealing a provision that prohibits a county or municipal corporation from acting as an aggregator under certain circumstances; establishing a process by which a county or municipal corporation or group of counties and municipal corporations may become a community choice aggregator; authorizing a community choice aggregator to own a certain electric generating facility for a certain purpose; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Mary Washington
Hearing 3/05 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/11/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Electric Cooperatives - Powers - Conducting or Communications Facilities [SB-634]
Authorizing an electric cooperative to construct, maintain, or operate or allow others to construct, maintain, or operate conducting or communications facilities for telecommunications and broadband Internet services along, on, under, or across various types of property; requiring an electric cooperative to give certain notice to certain property owners at least 60 days before constructing certain facilities in a certain electric easement or making capacity available for certain services in the electric easement; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stephen Hershey
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 277 on 04/30/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Energy Storage Pilot Project Act [SB-573]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to establish an energy storage pilot program; providing that the cumulative size of the projects under the program shall be between 5 and 10 megawatts, with a minimum of 15 megawatt-hours; requiring the Commission to require each investor-owned electric company to solicit offers to develop energy storage projects for various commercial and regulatory models; requiring each investor-owned electric company to submit an application for projects from at least two models; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Brian Feldman
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 427 on 05/13/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Electric Companies and Gas Companies - Rate Regulation - Alternative Rate Plans [SB-572]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to allow an electric company or a gas company to apply for an alternative rate plan simultaneously with an application for new base rates; requiring the Commission to allow an electric company or a gas company to utilize an alternative rate plan covering its full cost of service to establish new base rates if the Commission finds that the plan results in a just and reasonable rate; declaring the intent of the General Assembly; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Brian Feldman
Hearing 2/26 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/08/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Eligible Sources [SB-548]
Altering the eligibility of certain sources of energy for the creation of credits under the renewable energy portfolio standard; removing certain sources from the definition of a "Tier 1 renewable source"; providing that existing obligations or contract rights may not be impaired by the Act; and providing for the application of the Act.
Sponsored by: Sen. Susan Lee
Hearing 3/05 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/11/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Electricity - Standard Offer Service - Cost Allocation [SB-530]
Prohibiting an electric company from including certain costs associated with providing standard offer service in a certain base rate proceeding; requiring the Public Service Commission to require an electric company that files a certain base rate case to conduct a certain cost of service study for certain purposes; specifying costs that must be addressed in the study; requiring an electric company that provides standard offer service to identify certain costs and to segregate those costs in a certain manner; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Brian Feldman
Hearing 3/05 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/11/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Electricity - Community Solar Energy Generating Systems Pilot Program - Extension [SB-520]
Prohibiting the imposition of a maximum number of subscribers to community solar energy generating system under the Community Solar Energy Generating Systems Pilot Program; providing for an increase in the generating capacity and capacity limits to be included in the pilot program; altering the termination date of the pilot program to be not sooner than December 31, 2024; and extending to July 1, 2022, the submission date of a certain report on the pilot program to certain committees of the General Assembly.
Sponsored by: Sen. Joanne Benson
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 462 on 05/13/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
State Government - Strategic Energy Investment Program - Reporting [SB-52]
Altering certain planning and reporting requirements for the Strategic Energy Investment Program; requiring the Maryland Energy Administration, by December 31, 2019, to develop a plan for expenditures for fiscal year 2020 and a plan for expenditures covering the next 3 fiscal years; requiring an annual report to be provided to the Strategic Energy Investment Advisory Board and to include information on program initiatives, the status of programs and expenditures, and possible or expected future changes; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen.
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 133 on 04/18/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Public Utilities – Electricity and Natural Gas Suppliers – Information [SB-517]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to establish customer choice shopping websites for electric and natural gas customers; requiring the Commission to use information from electric and natural gas suppliers to maintain the information on the websites; requiring each electricity or natural gas supplier that is actively seeking residential customers in a service territory in the State to maintain at least one open offer on the Commission's website at all times; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Brian Feldman
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 305 on 04/30/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Clean Energy Jobs [SB-516]
Requiring the Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Businesses Account to receive certain money from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund; establishing certain criteria for qualified offshore wind projects applied for on or after July 1, 2017, termed Round 2 offshore wind projects; establishing the Clean Energy Workforce Account to provide grants for apprenticeships and training to establish career paths in sectors of the clean energy industry; requiring the Power Plant Research Program to conduct additional studies; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Delores Kelley
Enacted Under Article Ii, Section 17(c) Of The Maryland Constitution - Chapter 757 on 05/25/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Government Shutdowns - Employees - Protections [SB-512]
Prohibiting a public service company from terminating electric or gas service to certain residential customers for nonpayment on a day that a government shutdown is in effect and for 7 days after the government shutdown has ended; authorizing the Public Service Commission to adopt certain regulations; requiring a certain court to stay certain proceedings for the foreclosure or repossession of certain residential property for a certain period of time under certain circumstances; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. James Rosapepe
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 522 on 05/13/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Home Energy Assistance - Critical Medical Needs Program [SB-425]
Establishing the Critical Medical Needs Program in the Office of Home Energy Programs of the Family Investment Administration within the Department of Human Services in recognition of the challenges with energy bills faced by individuals with critical medical needs and limited financial resources; requiring the Office to work with electric and gas companies to implement, for critically medically vulnerable individuals, a hold or extension of service for those losing service and restoration where service has been terminated; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. James Rosapepe
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 283 on 04/30/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Environment - Water Quality Certifications (Pipeline and Water Protection Act of 2019) [SB-387]
Requiring a person seeking to construct a natural gas pipeline to apply for a certain water quality certification and pay a nonrefundable fee; requiring the Department of the Environment to establish a certain fee for the submission and review of a water quality certification application; specifying how the Department will determine the amount of the fee; requiring that the fee be deposited, credited, and appropriated in a certain manner; providing certain criteria for the Department's review of certain applications; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Robert Zirkin
Favorable With Amendments {384233/1 on 03/25/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Tier 1 Eligibility [SB-350]
Altering the definition of a "Tier 1 renewable source" for purposes of the renewable energy portfolio standard by adding certain hydroelectric power as a Tier 1 renewable source; applying the Act to all renewable portfolio standard compliance years that begin on or after January 1, 2020
Sponsored by: Sen. Antonio Hayes
Hearing 3/05 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/11/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Public Safety - 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System (Carl Henn's Law) [SB-339]
Requiring the Emergency Number Systems Board to establish certain minimum standards for records retention guidelines for 9-1-1 audio, video, text messages, and data; requiring the Board to establish minimum standards for certain 9-1-1 systems that ensure access for individuals with disabilities; altering the purposes of the 9-1-1 Trust Fund beginning on January 1, 2020; authorizing the use of money collected from a certain 9-1-1 fee to pay costs associated with maintenance, operations, and programs approved by the Board; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Delores Kelley
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 302 on 04/30/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Railroad Company - Movement of Freight - Required Crew [SB-252]
Prohibiting a train or light engine used in the movement of freight in the same rail corridor as a high-speed passenger or commuter train from being operated in the State unless it has at least two crew members; establishing certain penalties; providing that a railroad company is solely responsible for certain actions of its agents or employees; prohibiting a county or municipal corporation from enacting and enforcing more stringent measures; requiring that certain notice be made to the Department of Legislative Services; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Antonio Hayes
Vetoed By The Governor (policy) on 05/24/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission - Water Leakage - Billing MC/PG 113-19 [SB-202]
Requiring the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission to notify an account holder within 7 days after determining a 200% increase in water usage during the immediately preceding billing period; requiring that the notification required under the Act contain certain information, including information regarding a free inspection under certain circumstances; requiring an account holder to repair a water leak outside or inside the account holder's home within 30 days; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. James Rosapepe
Hearing Canceled on 03/08/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Recapture and Redirection of Funds [SB-1047]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to recapture from the Fuel Fund of Maryland any money expended from a certain quasi-endowment Energy Assistance Fund that was granted in accordance with a certain order of the Commission; requiring the Commission to redirect certain money granted to a certain entity in accordance with an order of the Commission to an entity to administer the funds in a certain manner; requiring the entity selected by the Commission to administer certain funds to meet certain qualifications; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Guy Guzzone
First Reading Senate Rules on 03/11/2019