Restructuring of Maryland’s electricity market has failed to deliver more choices or lower costs to Maryland customers. We support the following policies to restructure the market to restore accountability to our electric utility system and get it working for the public:

Restore accountability: Utility companies need to work for the public not shareholders. Rather than following the whims of the market, utility companies need to be required to develop 15-20 year plans to buy power for consumers at the least possible cost and then adhere to those plans. The plans need to be revised every few years. Utilities should be required to purchase power from a variety of sources over various contract lengths and need to be penalized if they deviate from their plan. Demand management and energy efficiency should be the preferred elements in the utilities’ strategies for providing electric service but regulators should require utilities to acquire or build generating potential if it is deemed in the public interest.

Demand Wiser Energy Use: The cheapest kilowatt of electricity is the one that is never used. In order to serve the public interest best, utility profits need to be decoupled from electric sales, and utility companies should be required to implement programs that reduce electricity use 20 percent by 2020. Every dollar invested in energy efficiency pays back more than 300 percent in savings . Investing in energy efficiency will lower individual bills and has the potential to lower overall rates by reducing strain on the system and making us less reliant on the spot-market used to meet peak demand. Special attention needs to be paid to the needs of tenants, since tenants pay the utility bills, but landlords generally perform maintenance on a property.

Send the Statement of Principles to your legislators asking them to sign on.