Executive order signed by Maryland Gov. Moore aims to lower energy costs
An executive order signed by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore Friday aims to lower energy costs and implement more affordable energy solutions.
The "Building an Affordable and Reliable Energy Future" executive order directs the state government to address a projected gap in electricity generation and rising utility costs impacting Marylanders.
The measure comes after many Baltimore-area residents and business owners raised concerns about their Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) bills this year. The latest round of complaints prompted an investigation by the State Public Service Commission (PSC).
Energy costs in Maryland
According to the governor's office, residential energy rates have increased by 44% since 2020.
Throughout 2025, WJZ reported extensively on resident complaints about energy prices, especially from BGE customers who saw drastic increases last winter due to a rise in BGE rates last January, a rise in the cost of natural gas and increased costs related to the "Empower Maryland" efficiency program, a BGE spokesperson explained.
"Over the last few years, utility bills have spiked, and for many Marylanders, energy policy has stopped being technical and started being personal," Gov. Moore said. "This order addresses the untenable system causing these costs to skyrocket. We are putting affordability and reliability at the center of the conversation to ensure our system works for the people who use it, not just the companies that run it."
Executive order aims to lower energy prices
The governor's executive order directs the Maryland Energy Administration to petition the PSC to review and hold utility providers accountable to budget billing programs. The review would determine if current practices are transparent and if they protect customers from unexpected costs.
The measure also directs the state to implement a strategy to address utility grid constraints that would reward utility companies for speed and affordability. The strategy would prioritize lower-cost alternatives over capital infrastructure projects.
The order further aims to modernize the electric grid with advanced technology by directing the Maryland Energy Administration to ask the PSC to require transmission owners to consider advanced transmission technology before approving new power line construction projects. Advanced transmission technology is designed to increase the capacity and efficiency of existing infrastructure, according to the governor's office.
Under the executive order, the Maryland Department of Transportation was tasked with identifying state-owned roads that are suitable for high-voltage transmission and battery storage projects.
The state will launch the Maryland Energy Site Readiness Initiative in an effort to accelerate the development of new energy systems. The initiative will find land for energy projects, prioritizing brownfields and industrial zones over green spaces.
The Maryland Department of Commerce will offer state resources to attract investments.
The executive order establishes a new energy subcabinet, chaired by the director of the Maryland Energy Administration, to align state resources and oversee the implementation of energy goals.
The measure also creates a new Maryland Energy Advisory Council that brings together stakeholders and consumer advocates to identify barriers to deployment. The council was asked to submit a formal memorandum within 180 days that identifies challenges to energy affordability and reliability.
Maryland lawmakers react
In a statement shared Friday, Maryland House Republicans slammed state Democrats for the high energy prices.
"One of the major reasons why Maryland's energy rates are so high is that our ratepayers are forced to subsidize high-cost clean energy projects that have yet to deliver truly affordable energy," House Minority Leader Jason Buckel said in a statement.
"Our ratepayers need real action and real long-term solutions, not more government bureaucracy," he added.
Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey and Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready claimed in a statement that Gov. Moore is avoiding responsibility for the policies that have led to high energy prices in Maryland.
"If the Governor wants affordable, dependable electricity and real economic growth, he must acknowledge that intermittent wind and solar aren't enough - and start embracing natural gas and other reliable baseload generation sources," Hershey said in a statement.
