Maryland governor launches $200 million clean-energy auction program to lower electricity prices
Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced on Oct. 26 the launch of the 'Maryland Megawatts' clean-energy auction program, investing $200 million over the next two years to add in-state clean-energy generation and help lower residents' electricity bills. The program was designed and is administered by the Maryland Energy Administration, under the Utility Relief Act Moore signed earlier this year.
The governor's office said electricity demand in the region is growing faster than supply, one cause of rising bills. The new program aims to add hundreds of megawatts of clean, affordable power to the grid, enough to supply more than 150,000 Maryland households each year. Funding comes from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, up to $100 million per year, issued as grants to renewable generation and energy-storage developers to offset development and construction costs.
Senate President Bill Ferguson said lowering residents' cost of living remains the top priority, and that last session's legislation created the program precisely to bring more clean renewable energy online, increase supply and lower bills. The auction runs in two stages: stage one is prequalification applications, due Nov. 30; those who pass move to stage two and submit bid prices, due Jan. 22, 2027.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 马里兰州议会大厦，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源 Wikimedia Commons
