In the scramble to lower utility bills, states are slashing cost-effective clean energy programs. (Latitude Media)
State legislatures can’t touch the actual drivers behind high bills. Their new strategy? Targeting the only visible line item they can—the efficiency surcharge.
Maryland’s recently inked bill, for example, promises over $150 in average annual household savings by weakening utility emissions reduction targets through 2029. MA and RI are following similar playbooks.
The trap: While cutting these surcharges offers immediate, PR-friendly relief, it defies grid economics by ensuring future unmitigated demand must be met by pricey generation.