Utility Regulation
Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Telecommunications Law - Modernization [SB-577]
Providing that a telephone company is not required to file with the Public Service Commission a specified tariff schedule except under specified circumstances; limiting the type of services in which a telephone company may not establish a new rate under specified circumstances; allowing a telephone company to discontinue or abandon a specified service under specified circumstances; providing that a specified prior authorization is not required for specified transactions; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Catherine Pugh
Hearing 3/10 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/10/2015
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Gettr Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Restrictions After Service [SB-54]
Prohibiting an individual from receiving financial benefit, that is not otherwise generally available to the public as a customer of a public service company, from public service companies, persons, or entities until at least 1 year has passed after the individual left service with the Public Service Commission as a commissioner; applying the Act to an individual who serves as a commissioner of the Public Service Commission on or after January 1, 2015; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Thomas Middleton
Vetoed By The Governor (duplicative) on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Electricity - Community Solar Energy Generating System Program [SB-481]
Establishing a Program on community solar energy generating systems under the authority of the Public Service Commission; providing for the structure and operation of the Program, including the generation of electricity and allocation of costs to system subscribers; authorizing an electric company to submit a petition to own and operate a community solar energy generating system to the Commission; authorizing the Commission to approve a petition if the Commission makes a specified determination; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. James Rosapepe
Hearing 3/03 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/03/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Electricity - Construction of Overhead Transmission Lines [SB-460]
Altering the scope of persons who may apply to begin construction of a new overhead transmission line for electricity under specified circumstances to include an electric company or a person who is or will be subject to regulation as a public utility by an officer or an agency of the United States; prohibiting the Public Service Commission from issuing a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction of a specified overhead transmission line to an applicant other than an electric company under specified circumstances; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Thomas Middleton
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 174 on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Underground Utility Damage Prevention - Connecting Buildings to Water Supply Systems and Sewerage Systems - Detectable Wires [SB-401]
Requiring that any new or replacement piping that is buried or installed for the purpose of connecting a building to a water supply system or sewerage system be buried or installed with an insulated copper tracer wire that is suitable for direct burial and has an American wire gauge (AWG) of at least 10, or an equivalent product that makes the piping detectable; providing for the prospective application of the Act; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Delores Kelley
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 29 on 04/14/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Electricity - Community Solar Energy Generating System Program [SB-398]
Establishing a pilot program on community solar energy generating systems under the authority of the Public Service Commission; providing for the structure and operation of the program, including the generation of electricity and allocation of costs to subscribers to the community solar energy generating system; requiring the Commission to limit the program so that the Commission may conduct a meaningful study of the program's results; requiring the Commission to adopt specified regulations on or before May 15, 2016; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Thomas Middleton
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 346 on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Electric Companies - Customer Choice of Electricity Supplier - Smart Meters [SB-382]
Requiring specified regulations or orders to specify a specified timing for an electric company to process a specified transaction for enrollment from an electricity supplier; requiring an electric company, if a customer has a smart meter, to process a transaction for enrollment from an electricity supplier to be effective within three business days after receiving the transaction from the electricity supplier.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stephen Hershey
Hearing 2/17 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/17/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Revisions (Maryland Clean Energy Advancement Act of 2015) [SB-373]
Altering the minimum required percentage of energy that must be derived from Tier 1 renewable sources in the State's renewable energy portfolio standard in specified years; altering the minimum required percentage of Tier 1 renewable energy that must be derived from solar energy in the State's renewable energy portfolio standard in specified years; establishing renewable energy portfolio standards for 2018 to 2025; applying the Act prospectively; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. James Rosapepe
Unfavorable Report By Finance on 04/10/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Electric Companies - Installation of Solar Electric Generating Facility - New Interconnection Agreement [SB-353]
Requiring a person who is negotiating a specified solar installation and interconnection contract with specified customer-generator to submit to the customer-generator's electric company a specified application; allowing a specified person to accept a payment from the customer-generator in connection with the contract before receiving an approval from the customer-generator's electric company; prohibiting a specified person to begin a specified installation under specified circumstances; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stephen Hershey
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 161 on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Telephone Companies - Streamlined Regulatory Requirements [SB-207]
Narrowing the types of services of a telephone company that are regulated by the Public Service Commission by altering a specified definition; providing that the Commission may allow a specified telephone company to provide a regulated service without requiring the telephone company to file a specified tariff schedule if the Commission finds that it is in the public interest; requiring the Commission to make a specified determination on specified services on or before September 1, 2015; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Delores Kelley
Vetoed By The Governor (duplicative) on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Thermal Energy [SB-154]
Altering the renewable energy portfolio standard for specified years; providing for specified thermal energy sources to be thermal tier energy sources; requiring an electricity supplier to meet the renewable energy portfolio standard by accumulating a specified amount of renewable energy credits and thermal renewable energy credits; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Thomas Middleton
Hearing 2/17 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/17/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Taxicab Services - Contract With Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners [SB-112]
Prohibiting a taxicab business from charging more than a specified administrative rate when the taxicab business enters into a contract with the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to transport a passenger who is a student.
Sponsored by: Sen. Nathaniel McFadden
Hearing 2/17 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/17/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Hearing Examiners - Change of Job Title [SB-11]
Changing the job title of "hearing examiners" of the Public Service Commission to "public utility law judges".
Sponsored by: Sen. Thomas Middleton
Vetoed By The Governor (duplicative) on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Insurance - Transportation Network Insurance - Requirements and Coverage [HB-972]
Requiring a transportation network application company to disclose specified information in writing to its transportation network operators; requiring a transportation network application company and any transportation network operator to maintain specified transportation network insurance in accordance with the Act; providing for the application of transportation network insurance to specified activities of a transportation network operator during specified periods under specified circumstances; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Benjamin Kramer
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters; Withdrawn on 03/13/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Energy Efficiency and Demand Management Programs and Services - Repeal [HB-933]
Repealing provisions requiring the Public Service Commission to make specified yearly calculations, require gas companies and electric companies to establish specified programs and services, adopt specified rate-making policies, and ensure that the adoption of electric customer choice does not adversely impact the continuation of specified programs; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Jason Buckel
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/17/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Electric Companies - Customers - Security Deposits [HB-893]
Requiring an electric company to notify customers regarding the reasons for which a customer may be required to pay a security deposit by prominently publishing notice in specified manners; requiring an electric company to give written notice to an existing customer at least 30 days before imposing a security deposit; requiring the notice to include specified information; and requiring an electric company to attempt to work with a customer to avoid imposing a security deposit during a specified period.
Sponsored by: Sen. Mary Washington
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/20/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Electricity - Energy Storage - Fuel Cells (Stored Energy and Power (StEP) Act) [HB-656]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to establish a pilot program to encourage the use of fuel cells for energy storage in the State; requiring a generator that participates in the pilot program to establish a fuel cell demonstration project; authorizing the Commission to provide incentives for participation in the pilot program; requiring, on or before December 31 of each year, the Commission to report to the Governor and specified committees of the General Assembly on the status of the pilot program; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Barbara Robinson
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/17/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Thermal Energy [HB-636]
Altering the renewable energy portfolio standard for specified years; providing for specified thermal energy sources to be thermal tier energy sources; requiring an electricity supplier to meet the renewable energy portfolio standard by accumulating a specified amount of renewable energy credits and thermal renewable energy credits; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Dana Stein
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 04/08/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Electric Companies - Vegetation Management [HB-611]
Requiring the Public Service Commission, in adopting specified vegetation management regulations, to require that an electric company's vegetation management program comply with the International Society of Arboriculture's Best Management Practices for Utility Pruning of Trees; and prohibiting an electric company from removing a tree on private property unless the tree is hazardous and the private property owner has consented to removal of the hazardous tree.
Sponsored by: Rep. Kathleen Dumais
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/17/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Attachments to Utility Poles - Study [HB-541]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to convene a workgroup to study attachments to utility poles in the State; and requiring the workgroup to examine specified matters relating to pole attachments and to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2015.
Sponsored by: Sen. William Smith
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 431 on 05/12/2015