Testimony: Community Choice Energy

SB0315/HB561 - “Electric Industry – Community Choice Energy”
More than a decade ago, powerful energy companies rewrote the rules that dictate how energy is bought and sold in Maryland. That decision continues to haunt us today.

SB0315/HB561 – “Electric Industry – Community Choice Energy”

FAVORABLE

More than a decade ago, powerful energy companies rewrote the rules that dictate how energy is bought and sold in Maryland. That decision continues to haunt us today.

This bill enables municipalities to set up alternatives to the investor-owned energy supply system. Community Choice Energy, as enabled by this bill, allows residents in a community to control the type of electricity purchased by their local utility. CCE’s can enable communities to negotiate lower rates and use more renewable energy.

Marylanders pay high electric bills, suffer from unfair pricing mechanisms that gouge consumers without offering benefits, and our electric grid is strained to the point where we could be facing brown-outs in the coming years.

There is a better way. By adopting consumer oriented rules to govern our electric system, making smart investments in energy efficiency and clean local sources of energy, decision-makers can lower bills, create local clean energy jobs, reduce our dependence on expensive and unsafe sources of energy, and improve the reliability of our electric grid.

We thank Senator Beidle for introducing this bill and urge a favorable report.

 

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Authors

Emily Scarr

Senior Advisor, Maryland PIRG

Emily is a senior advisor for Maryland PIRG. Recently, Emily helped win small donor public financing in Montgomery and Howard counties, and the Maryland Keep Antibiotics Effective Act to protect public health by restricting the use of antibiotics on Maryland farms. Emily also serves on the Executive Committees of the Maryland Fair Elections Coalition and the Maryland Campaign to Keep Antibiotics Working, and the Steering Committees for the Maryland Pesticide Action Network and Marylanders for Open Government. Emily lives in Baltimore with her husband and dog.