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Monday, April 1, 2019

Powerful Chairman Gets Feisty at Hearing on Controversial Utility Legislation

(Click on the image for  Josh Kurtz's Maryland Matters report)

  • House Economic Matters Chair Dereck E. Davis (D-Prince George’s) on Thursday gave a spirited, almost caustic defense of his legislation to change the way electric utility companies in Maryland request rate increases.
  • Under current Maryland law, the Public Service Commission reviews utility companies’ costs from the previous year to determine what rates to set for the upcoming year.
  • But the legislation allows for different ways to calculate ratepayer costs – including looking ahead to the strength of energy markets, the utilities’ financial stability, and even external forces like weather and climate.