Benefits of Reliable Power
Reliable power is essential for a healthy economy, a safe and secure society and for public health.
Access to reliable power is crucial to Maryland’s economy.
- retention of existing businesses
- significant new job creation from new and expanded businesses
- enhanced access to electricity from renewable energy resources
- less risk of economically crippling power blackouts and brownouts
Public safety depends on reliable power.
- public transportation and informational systems
- security systems in government, commercial and residential use
- access to public facilities and government buildings
Health and welfare are affected by reliable power.
- hospitals, nursing and rehabilitation centers
- availability and safety of food
- heating, ventilation systems
The Road to Reliable Power
To ensure reliable power for Maryland, we must focus on three key points:
Transmission
The fastest and most cost-efficient way to provide more electricity to Maryland customers and ensure its
reliability will be providing additional transmission to ease the congested grid. Additional transmission
capacity will help ensure that renewable energy will be able to reach our homes and businesses. And it
will reinforce the system that delivers power from traditional sources outside of Maryland. As a result of
the congested or overcrowded grid, Maryland’s electricity consumers pay more than most in the region.
Maryland is inside the Critical Congestion Area designated by the U. S. Department of Energy. Since 2000,
PJM Interconnection has authorized $9.8 billion in transmission improvements, among them the PATH line and
MAPP line which are proposed through portions of Maryland.
For more information, please visit the official websites of the PATH
(www.pathtransmission.com) and MAPP projects
(www.powerpathway.com).
Generation
Currently 51 percent of electricity provided by Maryland’s grid operator, PJM Interconnection,
is coal-fired, with nuclear energy supplying 33 percent. Renewable energy supplies
less than 5 percent of the total energy distributed on the grid. Currently, only
4.5 percent of Maryland’s electricity comes from renewable sources, mostly hydroelectric.
Maryland’s goal for renewable generation is 20 percent of the total by 2022. Nearly
half of Maryland’s generating plants are at least 40 years old, making many expensive
and inefficient to operate. The sole significant generation planned for Maryland
is additional nuclear capacity anticipated by 2015. The process for both approving
and constructing new generation facilities is complex and takes many years to complete.
Since 2001, only 780 megawatts of additional generation have been added in MD. For more
information, visit the official websites of the Maryland Power Plant Research Program
at www.dnr.state.md.us/Bay/pprp/
and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources at www.dnr.state.md.us.
Conservation
Maryland has established aggressive goals for conserving and reducing the demand for electricity.
This is monitored by the Maryland Energy Administration and undertaken by utility companies,
businesses and residential power customers under regulation by the Maryland Public Service Commission.
EmPOWER Maryland, a legislative initiative enacted in 2008, mandates that electricity consumption in Maryland decrease
by 15 percent by 2015. This will be achieved through measures taken by electric
utilities within the state for both residential and commercial customers as well
as demand response programs and Smart Grid technologies. EmPOWER Maryland is projected
to save households $190 per year by reduced electricity consumption and to add 8,000
new jobs to the economy. However, efficient use of electricity will not offset the
growing demand for its use, estimated to grow by 27 percent nationally by 2030.
Growing population and increasing reliance on electronics and other electrically
powered appliances and devices outweigh combined efforts to conserve. For more
information visit the official website of the Maryland Energy Administration at
www.energy.state.md.us.