On February 20, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic Butchko testified before the Economic Matters Committee in support of HB 645 – Transmission Line Siting – Comprehensive Plan, Recommendation, and Reporting Requirements with amendments.
This bill would require counties to update their comprehensive plans to include a section on electric system planning, aiming to reduce the impact of future transmission line development in the state. As drafted, this bill would create an impossible unfunded mandate for counties. MACo has worked with the sponsor on friendly amendments which address the sponsor’s intent and avoid overburdening county planning offices.
MACo amendments conform HB 645 with SB 853, which accomplishes the same underlying intent without overburdening already incredibly limited county resources. As transmission infrastructure upgrades may uniquely be accomplished by upgrading existing lines or using existing land, counties join the sponsor in wanting to protect Maryland communities and the finite number of sensitive lands.
The intent of HB 645 is to respond to the Piedmont Project by limiting new transmission lines to areas where there are currently existing infrastructure and rights-of-way. . . . As amended, this is commonsense legislation which seeks to address conflicts between Maryland’s growing demand for energy and billions invested into other pro-climate policies to date. F
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