The Maryland General Assembly’s 2025 regular session adjourned sine die at the stroke of midnight Tuesday, April 8th, closing out what many dubbed “The Energy Session.”

Advanced Energy United’s Maryland policy team was on the ground, making the case that advanced energy technologies are the fastest, most cost-effective path to meet the state’s energy needs. The result? A session that brought some incremental progress but also served as a missed opportunity to implement real solutions that would give ratepayers much needed relief and address existing grid challenges. Here are some of the highlights from the 2025 session, starting with where we saw positive movement: 

Engaging More Effectively with PJM

United supported the Utility Transparency and Accountability Act (HB 121 / SB 37), which passed the General Assembly and is now awaiting action by the Governor. This bill, sponsored by Delegate Lorig Charkoudian and Senator Katie Fry Hester, requires utilities to disclose their votes at PJM.

Why does this matter? PJM’s governance structure consists of committees, which are made up of voting members. These voting members come from multiple sectors, including the utilities. For too long, utilities have cast votes behind closed doors, shaping outcomes at PJM without complete transparency and accountability. Those decisions affect market rules, operations, and planning processes that influence everything from how quickly clean energy projects can connect to the grid to how much Maryland ratepayers pay for electricity.

More transparency into how the utilities vote within the PJM structure will increase accountability and allow all stakeholders – the Governor and his Administration, the General Assembly, businesses, and ratepayers – to engage effectively at PJM.

Deploying More Renewables and Energy Storage

The Next Generation Energy Act (HB 1035 / SB 937), sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson, was one of the most closely watched bills of the session and is awaiting action by the Governor. United expressed deep concerns with the original version of the proposal, but our team worked with the Legislature on key elements to both strengthen the bill and to ensure advanced energy was included in a meaningful way. Due to sustained advocacy on the ground, the bill was significantly amended before passage.

United successfully advocated for inclusion of key storage and ratepayer provisions in the overall energy legislative package. The storage provisions create an emergency procurement process for up to 1,600 MW of front-of-the-meter, transmission-connected storage, and a 150 MW goal for front-of-the-meter, distribution-connected storage.

The ratepayer provisions include a requirement for STRIDE program spending – which currently incentivizes gas utilities to make unnecessary gas infrastructure updates and replacements at an astronomical cost to ratepayers – to prioritize safety, cost-effective implementation, and to evaluate non-pipeline alternatives.

The final bill that passed the General Assembly also includes several critical United-supported safeguards around the fossil gas provisions, such as maintaining a role for public input.

Additional Legislative Efforts

• The Renewable Energy Certainty Act (HB 1036 / SB 931), cosponsored by Delegate CT Wilson and Senator Brian Feldman, passed the General Assembly and awaits action by the Governor. The legislation seeks to remove red tape and create consistency across municipalities and establishes industry standards for ground-mount solar.  
• Advanced Energy United supported the Solar Energy Generating Systems bill (HB 1111), sponsored by Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo. This bill also passed the General Assembly and awaits action by the Governor. The bill allows for solar generating systems located over water retention ponds or a current or former industrial quarry to qualify for the Small Solar Energy Generating System Incentive Program. It also permits a local government to grant a property tax credit for a solar generating system constructed on a brownfield, water retention pond, or current or former industrial quarry.  

Two of United’s priorities, Advanced Transmission Technologies (HB 829) and the Affordable Grid Act (HB 1225 / SB 908), were left on the table this session and the Legislature fell short on moving on these critical grid issues. Despite this setback, the vehicles sparked important conversation about how Maryland can meet rising energy needs without driving up costs. These proposals brought new ideas into the spotlight—and gained real traction with lawmakers looking to make the grid more affordable, flexible, and reliable. There was constructive dialogue we can build on as we gear up for the next session. 

Looking Ahead

While political headwinds created challenges during the 2025 session, there is a clear and growing appetite among lawmakers for policies that save ratepayers money, strengthen the grid, and deploy more generation quickly to meet growing demand. We remain committed to expanding the tent of lawmakers focused on our priority issues, informing smart policy development, and advocating for forward-looking legislation that moves Maryland toward a more affordable, reliable, and advanced energy future.