Republican lawmakers call on Maryland Gov. Moore to halt taxes, fees on rising energy bills
A group of Republican lawmakers in Maryland started a petition Monday to pressure Gov. Wes Moore to take action to lower energy costs.
The petition, announced by the Maryland Freedom Caucus, calls on the governor to halt all taxes and fees on energy bills.
The group includes seven Republican state delegates, including Delegates Matt Morgan, Kathy Szeliga, Ryan Nawrocki, Lauren Arikan, Brian Chisholm, Mark Fisher and Robin Grammer.
WJZ has reached out to the governor's office for comment.
Pushing for lower energy costs
Their petition comes a day after Moore appeared for a CBS News town hall, where he discussed several topics, including immigration, his relationship with President Trump and the cost of living in the U.S.
According to members of the Freedom Caucus, Moore did not mention Maryland's high energy costs until about 30 minutes into the 45-minute town hall.
"Marylanders are worried about how to pay for their gas and electric bills. Seniors on a fixed income are having to choose between food and heat," said Del. Szeliga, Vice Chair of the Freedom Caucus. "Governor Wes Moore is more focused on political theatre, disenfranchising voters and bashing President Trump than solving our energy crisis."
Following the town hall, the lawmakers said they are pushing for emergency legislation to address rising energy costs.
"Just like [former Maryland] Governor Larry Hogan and the Maryland General Assembly paused the gas tax when prices at the pump were out of control, we are demanding that we do the same for the taxes and fees on energy bills," said Del. Chisholm, who is sponsoring the energy reform measure.
Find more information about the petition here.
Gov. Moore on CBS town hall
During the town hall, Gov. Moore acknowledged that housing and energy costs across the nation are too high.
"It is a national problem. But it is a very big problem in the state of Maryland," he said. "It's just harder to get by. And frankly, it's not fair."
He also said the state has not done enough to "fortify" the electric grid by increasing generating capacity.
Concerns about energy bills
The skyrocketing prices of gas and electric bills have been top of mind for many Maryland home- and businessowners over the past few years.
In January, the Maryland Office of the People's Counsel (OPC), an independent state agency, warned residents about increasing Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) rates, as several rate increases were scheduled to occur in 2026.
The OPC said BGE's gas distribution rates tripled and its electric distribution rates almost doubled since 2012, when the company was acquired by Exelon.
The other utility companies owned by Exelon, Pepco and Delmarva Power, have also seen rate increases since being acquired in 2016, the OPC said.
In response to the rising costs, Gov. Moore proposed a bill that would secure funding for energy projects, provide bill rebates and modernize the state's power grid.
If passed, the Lower Bills and Local Power Act would allocate $100 million for utility bill rebates and require utility companies to prioritize technology that enhances the electric grid and increases capacity and efficiency.
