Marylanders For Reliable Power

About MDRP | Become a Member | Current Members | Understanding the Need

About MDRP

Marylanders for Reliable Power (a 501 (c)(3)corporation) is a coalition of citizens, businesses, and organizations that want to ensure that Maryland's future electricity needs are met through additional generation of electricity from traditional and renewal sources, improvement of transmission capacity and conservation. The coalition will work to inform the public of the critical need to act now so that electricity is available to support the state's productivity, public health, and security and to achieve public policy that supports an abundant and reliable electricity supply.

Introducing Marylanders for Reliable Power

For an informational presentation, click here. (PDF: get viewer)

Join Marylanders for Reliable Power

Marylanders for Reliable Power
59 Franklin Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 295-9550
info@mdforreliablepower.com

Current Members

Aggreko, LLC
Allegheny Energy
American Line Builders Chapter, NECA
AMS Management Services Corporation
APPI Energy
ARINC, Inc.
Atlantic Wood Industries
Baltimore Building and Construction Trades Council
Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce
Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce
Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce
Baugher Consulting
Baywood Design/Build Group (Columbia)
Bob Hall LLC
Boilermakers Local 193
Brian Boru Restaurant and Pub
Building Owners and Managers Association of Baltimore
Capital Eagle, Inc.
Capital Ventures, LLC
Center for Chesapeake Communities
Chesapeake Automotive Business Association
Conduit Retail Services, Inc.
Consumer Usage Laboratories, Inc.
Choptank Electric Cooperative
Dairy Made Dairy
DeReggi Construction Company
Derrick Financial Group
DRS International LLC
Easton Utilities
Electric Advisor's Inc.
EPIC Pharmacies, Inc.
ESMEC Energy Trust
Fiber Plus, Inc.
Friendly Computers
Galway Bay Restaurant
Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce
Garrett County Chamber of Commerce
Get the Lead Out LLC
Global Baskets LLC
Gollub CPA Services
Good Faith Promotions
Gordon Insurance, LLC
Graul's Market (Annapolis)
Greater Baltimore Committee
Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce
Greater Cumberland Committee
Hatfield Dentistry
Health Facilities Association of Maryland Service Corporation
Herrmann Advertising Design/Communications
Hillmuth Certified Automotive, Inc.
Homeland Renewable Energy
Homes for America
Home Source Real Estate Asset Services, Inc.
Howard County Chamber of Commerce
IBEW Fourth District Office
IBEW Local #24 (Baltimore)
IBEW Local #26 (Lanham)
IBEW Local #70 (Forestville)
IBEW Local #1307 (Delmar)
IBEW Local #1501 (Cockeysville)
IBEW Local #1900 (Largo)
Insulators & Allied Workers Local 24
Integrity Financial, LLC
International Environmental Data Rescue Organization
Ironworkers Local 16
IVR Commercial Property Services
J.L. Mayer Law Firm (Columbia)
Katcef Brothers, Inc.
Kenny Construction
Killarney House Restaurant
KS Marketing, LLC
Lars Energy, LLC
Lifetime Benefits, LLC
Manufacturers Alliance of Maryland
Maryland Chamber of Commerce
Maryland Clean Energy Center
Maryland Coal Association
Maryland Energy Group
Maryland Hotel and Lodging Association
Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation
Maryland Minority Contractors Association, Inc.
Maryland Petroleum Council
Mel's Business Systems
Mettiki Coal, LLC
Mid Atlantic Aggregation Group Independent Consortium, LLC
Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributors Association
Minuteman Press (Lutherville Location)
Montgomery Eagle, Inc.
Northern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce
Northrop Grumman Corporation Electronic Systems
Owings Mills-Reisterstown Rotary Club
Plumbers & Steamfitter Local 486
Potomac Electric Power Company
Printing and Graphics Association - Mid Atlantic
Restaurant Association of Maryland
Roofers & Waterproofers Local 30
RSVP Marketing
Safeway, Inc.
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative
Solid State Systems
Sprinkler Fitters Local Union #669
Standard Solar, Inc.
Synergics Wind Energy
The Law Offices of James L. Mayer, P.A.
The Rotary Club of Baltimore City
Towson Rotary Club
Trade International Corporation
Upper Montgomery Rotary Club
Utility Workers Union of America
Western Maryland Health System
WMDA Service Station and Automotive Repair Association

Understanding Maryland's Need for Improved Electricity Infrastructure

Population Growth

Maryland’s population was 4,216,933 in 1980. Electricity consumption in the state that year was 17,788 million kilowatts.¹ Since then, the state’s population has increased by nearly 1,680,000, or approximately 40 percent. Electricity consumption is estimated for 2008 at 70,213 million kilowatts, a nearly 300 percent increase over 1980.²

Increased Consumption

Maryland’s relatively strong economy has fueled its construction industry, especially residential construction. House size and energy consumption within those new homes has increased. Though statistics on what products account for electricity consumption are not available for specific states, some national and regional facts are compelling. The average American household uses at least 21 percent more electricity now than it did 30 years ago. Consumption is expected to rise by 11 percent in the next 20 years.³ Computer servers and related equipment now account for more electricity consumption than color televisions. The use of electricity by servers grew from 2000 to 2005 at a rate of 14 percent per year, more than doubling in five years. By 2010, this use is expected to reach 40 percent growth.⁴

At 31 percent of the total, the largest use of household electricity is for HVAC systems, air conditioning accounting for the greatest portion. In 1984, 12 percent of American households had two refrigerators. In 2001, 17 percent had two. Color televisions are the largest single home electronics user of electricity.⁵

Among the products cited whose use has grown are computers and charging devices for everything hom flash lights to electric cars, including cellular and portable phones. Other growing uses include outdoor and indoor lighting, swimming pool filtration and heating systems, and security systems.

Lagging Generation

In the past 30 years, only three new electricity generation plants have been built in Maryland. Planned additional generation is only expected to add 831 megawatts. As a result of the lack of new in-state generation and increased population and electricity use, Maryland is now estimated to be importing approximately 32 percent of its electricity from out-of-state suppliers. This imported electricity comes from out-of-state suppliers which are part of PJM Interconnection, the 13-state regional grid to which Maryland’s power companies belong. So much imported electricity accounts for Marylanders paying the highest marginal prices of electricity users supplied by this grid, calculated by the U.S. Department of Energy at $500 million annually in higher electricity costs. ⁶

Congested Supply Grid

The regional supply system (grid) has a capacity of 163,000 megawatts. Peak electricity usage in 2006 required 144,644 megawatts, or 89 percent of total capacity. This summer’s highest demand is expected to be 137,950 megawatts.⁷ With increased future demand, Maryland’s reliance on power imported through the heavily congested grid puts the state in jeopardy for power interruptions or worse.

Impact of Inaction

What would a blackout of the magnitude of one that affected 50 million people mean to Maryland? Fortunately, those served through PJM Interconnection were little affected by that multi-day blackout across the northern United States on August 14, 2003. However, with Maryland’s supply grid approaching capacity, the possibility of such an occurrence cannot be dismissed. The potential loss of productivity over several days and the threat to public safety and public health are monumental. Equally alarming is the likely impact to the state’s fiscal condition with the loss of revenues resulting from such a power failure.

Sources

¹ U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, "Energy Consumption Estimates by Source, Selected Years, 1960-2005, Maryland"
² Maryland Public Service Commission, "Electric Supply Adequacy Report of 2007"
³ Edison Electric Institute "Why Are Electricity Prices Increasing?," September 2006
⁴ Ars Technia, "U.S. Servers Now Use More Electricity Than Color TVs," February 15, 2007.
⁵U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration
⁶"Maryland’s Energy Future" report prepared for Governor Martin O’Malley, February 2007
⁷PJM Interconnection, Press Release, May 5, 2008