Utility RELIEF Act one step closer to becoming law
Annapolis, Md. – Legislation known as HB 1532 or the Utility Reducing Energy Load Inflation for Everyday Families (RELIEF) Act made it to the opposite chamber by Maryland’s Crossover Day deadline, meaning it may get the chance to move to Governor Wes Moore’s desk. The bill looks to lower how much families spend on their utility bill and proponents say it could save families up to $150 a year.
However, not everyone thinks the bill will do enough to save Maryland families money, especially on the Eastern Shore.
“That $150, I don’t think is realistic for our rural customers that are just getting provided, you know, electric or something like that from their from their Choptank Electric or Delmarva Power,” Chief Deputy Minority Whip Del. Wayne Hartman (R-District 38C) said. “The relief that we’re going to see to our residents on the Eastern Shore in our rural areas are going to be less.”
Hartman says there was plenty to work on for this bill, adding the Republican Caucus offered more than 20 amendments, but none were accepted. Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes (D-District 37A), the only Democrat representing Maryland’s Eastern Shore, says though she agreed with some of the amendments, any relief was better than none.
“But I knew at the end of the day, we need to walk away from this legislative session was something to move forward and say to the public, ‘we have done something,” she said. “This may not be the total package and may not give you the full relief that you’re looking for, but it is some level of relief.”
Sample-Hughes added that, especially for the most vulnerable families, the relief could mean a lot more.
She said the legislature wanted to put “real emphasis on looking at how energy is consumed and how it is going to be addressed going forward,” but more is needed. She said the legislature was looking at temporarily repealing some of the fees imposed on utility costs like an EmPOWER fee. EmPOWER is a state program meant to incentivize energy efficiency and conservation efforts, and assists low-income residents with “the installation of energy conservation measures in their homes with zero out-of-pocket expenses,” according to the program.
“That has been something, actually, I’ve been supporting and saying, ‘hey, this is great, this is helping some people who are low income and may need the extra assistance,'” she said. “But at the same time, it is increasing the cost of your utility expenses, and so that’s going to be repealed for a certain period of time.”
The Utility RELIEF Act goes to the state senate floor for a hearing Wednesday at 1 p.m.
