Maryland Launches $200 Million Clean Energy Auction to Add In-State Generation Over Two Years
Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced in Annapolis on October 26 the launch of Megawatts for Maryland, a $200 million clean energy auction program administered by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) to increase in-state energy generation over the next two years and help lower power costs for ratepayers. Established through the Utility RELIEF Act, which Moore signed into law earlier this year, the two-year program draws up to $100 million a year from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund.
'We are using every tool at our disposal to bring Marylanders relief as energy costs skyrocket in our region and across the country,' Moore said. 'This program will tackle rising electricity demand with cleaner, cheaper, in-state energy generation that will drive down costs for the long-term.' Senate President Bill Ferguson said lowering costs for Maryland families remains the top priority, while House Speaker Joseline A. Pena-Melnyk noted that a $100 million investment would use a competitive process to bring new solar generation online. MEA Director Kelly Speakes-Backman said renewable energy and storage projects are the quickest, cleanest and lowest-cost option to develop local energy supply.
The program will award grants to renewable energy generation and storage developers to help offset development and construction costs for grid-scale projects. It aims to add hundreds of megawatts of clean power to the grid, enough to power more than 150,000 Maryland homes per year. The auction runs in two stages: Stage 1 preliminary applications establishing eligibility are due November 30, 2026, and only eligible Stage 1 applicants may bid into Stage 2, which closes January 22, 2027.
The governor's office said the program will help fill investment gaps created when the federal administration canceled investment tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act. The Moore administration said it has previously delivered $100 million in direct relief through the RELIEF Act and $200 million in direct rebates last year, and that Moore in September issued an executive order on responsible data center development to protect ratepayers from price hikes caused by data centers.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于安纳波利斯的马里兰州议会大厦（资料图）。Andrew Parlette 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Maryland State House in Annapolis (file photo). Photo by Andrew Parlette, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
