Local climate groups urge preservation of Maryland's Strategic Energy Investment Fund and support for solar and storage bills

Ruth Alice White of POCO Climate Action urged delegates to support the Affordable Solar Act, battery storage and grid-enhancing transmission technologies and to increase oversight of utilities to protect ratepayers. She said the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (often called CIF) has been diverted recently and should be preserved for clean-energy programs that benefit low-income households.

Peter Alexander detailed proposed spending priorities he said CIF should fund rather than be swept into the general fund, including $88 million for low-income home energy-efficiency programs, $5 million for an induction-stove pilot, $20 million for electric school buses and $50 million for residential and community canopy solar.

Speakers also raised concerns about potential regulatory changes enabling large data centers to increase electricity delivery costs, and suggested demand-response measures to require data centers to power down in emergencies to protect the grid and ratepayers.

Delegates did not take action during the hearing; testimony will inform ongoing budget and policy deliberations.