Brad Viator, a state utility policy expert, said the Maryland law was spurred by third-party suppliers’ heavy-handed sales tactics. “They’re like anybody else who’s trying to get a bunch of customers to sign up for a service,” Viator said. “There are some salespeople out there that are super aggressive and are using some unscrupulous tactics to get people to sign up. And the problem has become so prevalent, in Maryland in particular, but really in a lot of the states in the Northeast.”

Power for Tomorrow’s Executive Director in the Daily Energy Insider discussing the Maryland law that will bolster consumer protections — especially those for low-income residents — against deceptive practices in the state’s unregulated retail electricity market.

Read the full article.

Today, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed into law Senate Bill 1 (SB1). This legislation provides reasonable oversight of electricity markets and protects customers by restricting the amount retail suppliers can charge. This brings an end to the most harmful component of Maryland's deregulation experiment, which began in 1999 under the Electric Choice Act and promised energy savings for consumers. In the 25 years following the Electric Choice Act, Maryland customers collectively have paid an extra $1.2 billion to retail energy suppliers, compared to regulated electricity and gas prices. 

“This report once again shows a clear pattern by the individual competitive electric supply industry of substantially harming our residents,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell. “The harms caused by these companies significantly outweigh any benefits to consumers.”

“A bill in Kentucky that could become law soon has the utilities industry concerned, along with environmental, business, and consumer groups that say the measure favors coal interests over ratepayers.

Gary Meltz, executive director of Power for Tomorrow, said the group opposes SB 349.”

Power for Tomorrow’s Executive Director, Gary Meltz, in the Lexington Herald-Leader, discussing how lawmakers in Frankfort, seeking to protect Kentuckly’s coal industry, are pushing legislation that will create a new layer of bureaucracy overseeing the state’s electrical utilities. While the bill’s supporters mean to protect the state’s coal workers, this new law will result in Kentuckians paying higher – not lower – electric bills.

“Texas power market designers argue that short-term price spikes will encourage long-run investment, but why would power plant owners build more power plants just to make sure prices stay low?” — Power for Tomorrow Expert Ed Hirs in Utility Dive

“Columnist Scot Lehigh cannot be blamed for being somewhat swayed by paid advocates for the retail electric

supply industry, who make a compelling case for letting customers pick where to get their electricity. After

gobbling up half a billion dollars more from Bay State residents than they would otherwise have paid from

2015 to 2021, the retail supply industry may well have the best spin doctors money can buy.” — PFT Executive Director Gary Meltz in the Boston Globe