On February 20, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko testified before the Economic Matters Committee in support of HB 829 – Public Utilities – Transmission Lines – Advanced Transmission Technologies.
This bill calls for additional considerations and requirements for the construction of transmission lines. As drafted, HB 829 requires the Public Service Commission and applicants to more deeply consider the impact of projects and project routes on ratepayers, the environment, and other factors.
The 2025 Maryland General Assembly is facing a historic number of complex generational challenges. One of the loudest issues to arise has been Maryland opposition to the Piedmont Reliability Project. The Project, which crosses Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick Counties, effectively creates an “extension cord” across some of our state’s prime agricultural lands, providing Pennsylvania-generated energy to Virginia-based data centers, with little direct benefit to Marylanders.
Additional consideration must also be given to the use of advanced transmission technologies as a means to avoid unnecessary community and ratepayer impacts. As many transmission infrastructure upgrades may uniquely be accomplished by upgrading existing lines or using existing land, counties join the sponsor in wanting to protect both our mutual constituents and the finite number of conserved lands.
HB 829 was heard in the opposite chamber, the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, on March 26. MACo submitted written testimony in support of this bill.
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