{"id":11580315,"date":"2025-07-26T09:40:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T13:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/?p=11580315"},"modified":"2025-07-26T09:39:52","modified_gmt":"2025-07-26T13:39:52","slug":"gov-wes-moores-green-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/2025\/07\/26\/gov-wes-moores-green-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Wes Moore’s green energy agenda tested as power prices jump more than 1,000% since 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

The mid-Atlantic region\u2019s power grid operator is sounding the alarm about state policies accelerating the shutdown of fossil fuel generators as demand for electricity surges and drives up prices<\/a> to record highs for consumers.<\/p>\n

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has claimed there\u2019s no evidence that his accelerated green energy agenda is increasing electricity bills for residents, despite concerns from PJM Interconnection<\/a> that a shrinking energy supply is colliding with rapid economic growth.<\/p>\n

Spotlight on Maryland asked PJM on Thursday whether Maryland\u2019s energy generation shortfall specifically increased demand on regional energy costs, which drove up its capacity auction prices to a record high earlier in the week.<\/p>\n

“Existing supply has been leaving the system due primarily to state and federal decarbonization policies and some economics,\u201d PJM spokesman Jeffrey Shields said in an email. \u201cIn any market, when demand is up and supply is down, there will be an increase in pricing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPJM has been warning of this eventuality for several years now, specifically as it relates to the impact of these supply\/demand fundamentals on our ability to reliably operate the power grid,\u201d Shields added.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, PJM announced its capacity auction price for 2026 had jumped to $329.17 per megawatt (MW) \u2014 a 22% increase from the previous year and more than 1038% higher than the $28.92 per MW clearing price in 2023, when Moore took office. Some customers’ electricity bills will increase 1.5% to 5%, PJM said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a capacity auction?<\/h4>\n

PJM conducts annual auctions to ensure utilities can secure enough electricity when demand spikes, such as during heat waves or severe storms. The price determined in these auctions affects the cost of electricity for customers across 13 states and Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

As traditional power plants retire faster than replacements come online, PJM says the system is becoming more fragile \u2014 and expensive.<\/p>\n

\u201cGenerators are retiring in Maryland due to a mixture of economic and policy justifications and without replacement generation in place,\u201d PJM warned in a two-page brief after last year\u2019s first record-breaking capacity auction. Maryland, which already imports the majority of its energy, has lost 6,000 MW of electricity since 2018, while adding only 1,600 MW, the brief said.<\/p>\n

Moore’s green energy push<\/h4>\n

At an unrelated event in Baltimore on July 17,\u00a0Spotlight on Maryland\u00a0asked Moore if his green energy agenda is disrupting the state\u2019s energy market and costing Marylanders, as they are experiencing a tough state economy.<\/p>\n

“Not at all,\u201d said Moore, a Democrat. \u201cThere is no data that can actually reinforce that being able to say we believe in solar, and wind, and nuclear, and all the different, all-of-the above energy assets, that in any way, is actually hurting ratepayers. In fact, it\u2019s actually helping.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best thing you can do is provide more options for ratepayers. If you provide more options, it\u2019s simple supply and demand, it brings prices down. So what we are interested in is making sure the ratepayers are supported and we can do that while also protecting the environment,\u201d Moore added.<\/p>\n

But PJM contends that current green energy initiatives aren\u2019t keeping up with the demand \u2014 and new supply is lagging. Shields noted that while PJM has approved 46,000 MW of new generation, much of it remains unbuilt due to global supply chain issues, state and federal permitting delays, and financing challenges.<\/p>\n

Offshore wind faces setback<\/h4>\n

Moore has made offshore wind<\/a> a cornerstone of his clean energy plan. He signed three green energy bills in April 2023, including the Maryland Promotion Offshore Wind Energy Resource Act, or the POWER Act. During the bill signings, the governor announced his accelerated net-zero emissions target for Maryland, aiming to reach 100% carbon-free energy generation by 2035 \u2014 a full decade ahead of the state\u2019s statutory requirement.<\/p>\n