Maryland Energy Talk

Data centers are driving up our electricity bills and increasing our air pollution. According to Monitoring Analytics, between 2025 and 2028 data center demand will increase costs on Maryland’s regional electricity grid by $23 billion That comes out to an average of $343 for every person on our grid, including children, so a family of 3 is paying over a thousand dollars more in their electricity bill over that period because of data centers. Legislative leadership in Maryland took great steps in 2026 to shield Marylanders from higher costs caused by data centers in the Utility Relief Act, but those policies are still being implemented and in the meantime we are paying those higher costs today.
Given that data centers are significantly increasing electricity bills, it is no surprise that the backlash to data centers has been so intense and universal. In fact the pushback is so strong that recent months have seen a proliferation of local data center bans and moratoriums. This will come as shocking news to most listeners, but these local acts have added up to what is almost a de facto moratorium on data centers throughout the state. Already 80% of Marylanders now live in a municipality with a moratorium or ban on data centers. This happened almost overnight, where a data center moratorium went from being a fringe idea to being reality all within the past few months. This runaway grassroots momentum is likely to take Annapolis by storm in 2027, and to talk about what that would look like I am joined by Mike Tidwell who is the founder and Executive Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and a leader in data center grassroots organizing.
Click Here to get a ticket for the People Over Data Centers conference on November 7th in Baltimore

You may have missed it in the Utility RELIEF Act of 2026 or in the budget, but one of the most consequential and long- lasting provisions was a significant investment in the state’s greenbank, the Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC). I had MCEC on Maryland Energy Talk last year, and at that time our conversation focused on how little investment MCEC gets from the state, and how much benefit could be unlocked if only a bigger portion of the state’s clean energy dollars went to the greenbank where they will be leveraged for even more dollars.
Now that Maryland has invested more in MCEC than they ever have before, I’m thrilled to be talking with them again to discuss what they are doing with these funds and what programs are available for Maryland residents and businesses. My guest today is the Executive Director of the Maryland Clean Energy Center, Kathy McGruder, and the Chief Investment Officer Anmol Vanamali

Something happened on July 2nd that really turned conventional wisdom about renewables on its head. Then, on July 8th, something that I think is even more exciting happened. They were both so significant I’m making a video about them, especially because I haven’t heard anyone acknowledge this angle of what happened on July 2
Specifically, on July 2nd solar power saved the PJM grid from a reliability crisis caused by coal and gas power plants. And for those who don’t know, PJM is an organization that operates the grid for 13 states from Virginia Beach to Chicago, and their Coal and gas plants endangered the reliability of our grid, and solar saved it. This is the opposite of the lies that Trump and the fossil fuel industry like to tell, but it’s what happened, so let’s dive into the facts.

As of today, July 1st, it is legal, under certain conditions, to plug solar panels directly into a wall outlet in Maryland. Plug-in solar legislation is sweeping the nation with more than 20 states considering similar policies. While the general concept is simple, put the plug-in the outlet, the exact regulations differ in each state. I hope that by the end of the episode today you will have a complete understanding of how to plug solar into an outlet in Maryland, and where you can get your very own plug-in solar kit
To that end, I am joined today by the owner of Maryland’s greatest home solar installation company, Jose Coronado-Flores, founder of Flores Photovoltaics, and a national expert on Plug-in solar policies, Cora Stryker with Bright Saver, the only organization dedicated exclusively to supporting plug-in solar.

Click here to order a plug-in solar kit from Flores Photovoltaics.

In the negotiations between the House and the Senate on the Utility RELIEF Act this year, one of the major sticking points was whether to get rid of forecasted test years, as pushed for by the Speaker of the House. The compromise paused the practice for a year, asked the PSC to study the issue, but did not permanently prohibit their use.
Given that it was such a flash point of disagreement between the chambers, and that this issue will be coming back in 2027, I thought it would be worth talking about forecasted test years. I am thrilled to welcome onto Maryland Energy Talk the incredible Emily Scarr who is a Senior Advisory at the Maryland Public Interest Research Group.