Maryland Energy Talk

Senator Hester on Data Center Policy in Maryland

The tidal wave of data centers flooding onto our grid is a major reason why energy bills are going up. A recent report from Monitoring Analytics found that data centers are currently costing customers on Maryland’s regional grid over $9 billion [https://ieefa.org/resources/projected-data-center-growth-spurs-pjm-capacity-prices-factor-10#:~:text=Monitoring%20Analytics%2C%20a%20consulting%20firm,about%20$16/month%20in%20Ohio.] in increased energy costs annually. If data centers were to bring their own new clean energy it would reduce or eliminate those costs that all of us are currently paying on behalf of data center developers. Data centers bringing their own clean energy would also prevent the ungodly amount of pollution they would otherwise cause, but Getting data centers to bring their own new clean energy is now easy feat. It will require smart, effective policies both at the level of the regional PJM grid and at the state level. I am very lucky to be joined by State Senator Katie Fry Hester who has been doing incredible work to protect consumers from potential increased of cost and pollution from data centers both at PJM and here in Maryland.

The CHERISH Act

Air pollution is a significant threat to human health and well being. Particulate Matter of 2.5 micrometers and smaller, known as PM 2.5, is only one of common air pollutants and it causes 85-200 thousand deaths a year in the United States. It has been well documented that the sources of air pollution have been concentrated in black and brown communities. NYT reporting found that Black Americans are exposed to higher levels of air pollutants from all sources, including construction emissions, power plant emissions, industrial emissions, and emissions from cars and trucks. All people of color are similar exposed to higher than average rates of pollution from all of those same sources, with the exception of power plants I hope we can all agree that concentrating pollution sources in Black and Brown communities is wrong, but Maryland lacks sufficient legal frameworks to right that wrong. That’s why a coalition of environmental justice advocates in Maryland are pushing to pass the Cumulative Harms to Environmental Restoration for Improving our Shared Health or CHERISH Act, introduced by Delegates Behler and Johnson and Senator Brooks To talk about why the CHERISH Act is needed and what it does, I am joined by Jennifer Kunze who is the Maryland Organizing Director at Clean Water Action and Carlos Sanchez-Gonzalez with the South Baltimore Community Land Trust

Maryland's Largest Solar Farm is on a Coal Mine

In December of 2025 a final switch was flipped and 160 megawatts of electricity started flowing onto Maryland’s grid from the biggest solar farm in the entire state, the Backbone power project in Garrett County. To give you a sense of how big 160 megawatts is, this project will produce more electricity than all the homes in Garrett County combined use in a year. When Backbone Power came online, it single handedly increased the total amount of solar power installed in Maryland by over 5%. The project would be newsworthy just because of its size, but on top of that it also happens to be located on an old coal mine and is now providing local and state tax revenue that was lost when that coal mine closed. This project is a great example of the tremendous benefits we get out of investing in the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard in terms of jobs, tax revenue, and instate generation, but to me it also feels like a symbol of possibility, proof in miniature that transitioning to the clean economy is possible and beneficial. To talk all about this project, the Maryland energy policies that made it possible, and what lawmakers can do to make sure more projects like this one keep coming online, I am joined by Mike Resca, the executive Vice-President of CPV Renewables, the company that developed the backbone solar project.

Chair Korman on Energy Issues in 2026

Among the many changes made by Speaker Pena-Melnyk is moving energy issues from the Economic Matters Committee to the Environment and Transportation Committee. This is a change represents a shift in how energy issues are contextualized, from primarily being a matter of economic development, to being about the environment. This move sends the hot potato of energy issues to Chair Korman, who is my guest today to talk all about how he sees energy issues and what is thinking is at the start of the 2026 legislative session. Chair Korman and Subcommittee Chairman Fraser-Hidalgo also organized a series of briefings on energy issues for their committee. The briefings are terrific and I have linked them below: Briefing with representatives from the Texas and California grids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TmrH9_gTT4 Briefing with PJM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGgmp90GXTk Briefing with clean energy industry and climate advocates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeQTOdRrkwY Briefing with the Maryland Department of the Environment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq5DG5aol_0 Briefing with utilities and Constellation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VVmGE_QV-E Briefing with the Maryland Energy Administration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWUMUyIJpX0 Briefing with the Public Service Commission and the Office of the People’s Counsel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWNtXARBAk8

Reducing Transmission Costs

Building new transmission is extremely costly and highly controversial but at the same time we know that more transmission will be needed on our electric grid as energy demand continues to grow. Is it possible for us to ensure the grid is capable of moving energy where it needs to go without breaking the bank or seizing property through eminent domain?  The SAVINGS Act, introduced by Delegate Qi and Senator Hester, would deploy grid enhancing technologies that will allow us to get more transmission capability without building new transmission lines. To talk all about this bill, why it is necessary and how it works, I am joined by Katie Mettle who is the Policy Principal for Maryland and New Jersey at Advanced Energy United