Don’t Let Legislators Gut Maryland’s Energy Efficiency Program EmPOWER Maryland

Don’t Eliminate Maryland’s Energy Efficiency Program - Protect EmPOWER Maryland

I am a constituent in your district writing with concerns about provisions in the Utility RELIEF Act (HB 1532). While the act as I understand it has some good provisions that will modernize our grid, place modest guardrails on data centers, and support balcony solar, I am opposed to making any cuts to Maryland’s energy efficiency program, EmPOWER Maryland. Analysis shows that the Utility Relief Act (HB 1532) would make cuts to the utility-run portion of the EmPOWER MD program for three years. Cuts of this scale will cause irrevocable harm to the long-term viability of the program. EmPOWER is one of our country’s leading energy efficiency programs. EmPOWER is the reason our state’s energy use has been stable for almost two decades, while neighboring states saw increases. While making cuts to EmPOWER may provide short-term relief on energy bills,it would ultimately harm consumers by eliminating critical programs - like energy efficient appliance rebates, free and discounted home energy audits - that help reduce energy costs and pollution. Our energy bills are doubling, even tripling, all while other costs of living are also increasing. We can’t go on like this. We need long-term solutions that ease our energy use, not further contribute to the corporate utilities making record profits. Gutting the EmPOWER Maryland energy efficiency program won’t get us there. In fact, programs like EmPOWER Maryland provide more than $2 in savings for every $1 invested. Cutting energy efficiency programs will increase our energy use, sending even more profits into the pockets of our corporate utilities like BGE, Pepco and Delmarva (all owned by Exelon) that are already posting record profits. Please protect ratepayers by stopping cuts to EmPOWER.