GOVERNOR O’MALLEY SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CALLING FOR LONG-TERM ELECTRICITY REPORT

State to evaluate electricity needs and options for Maryland’s energy future

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (July 23, 2010) — Continuing to lead Maryland toward a more sustainable future, Governor Martin O’Malley today signed Executive Order 01.01.2010.16 directing the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to prepare a Long-Term Electricity Report for the State by the end of next year. The first such report in 20 years will evaluate Maryland’s long-term electricity needs and will include a comprehensive review of alternatives to meet those needs.

“There have been no major new electric power plants or transmission lines in Maryland in more than a decade,” said Governor O’Malley. “Meanwhile alternative energy solutions like wind and solar have emerged and matured, and nuclear power is again being explored as an option. This report will provide data critical to addressing our long-term electricity needs, a major component of our blueprint for securing a clean, reliable and affordable energy future for Maryland families.”

The Executive Order was developed by DNR in cooperation with the Public Service Commission, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA). The report, which will be prepared by DNR’s Power Plant Assessment Program, will assess future electric energy use requirements and peak electric demand requirements, and identify sources and alternative resources to meet any gaps in these requirements through the end of calendar year 2030.

“Alternatives that will be considered include fossil fuel generation, nuclear generation, renewable electric generation resources, energy conservation and efficiency measures, enhancement of the electric transmission system, and measures designed to reduce peak demands,” said Malcolm Woolf, Director of MEA. “The report will also address the impacts of electric vehicles on Maryland’s electric power requirements, potential benefits of “smart meters,” and other factors that can be expected to affect electricity supply and demand.”

Building on MEA's 2008 Electricity Strategy and 2010 Maryland Energy Outlook, this report will be the first comprehensive, alternatives analysis for Maryland since 1990. During the intervening years, Maryland’s population has grown by about one million people, electricity consumption has grown by more than 25 percent, and concerns about the environmental impacts of electricity supply and consumption have increased. With an estimated population increase of an additional one million Marylanders by 2030, this report will be an essential tool in securing our energy future, and keeping Maryland Smart, Green and Growing.

“This will be an inclusive process, and we look forward to working with stakeholder groups across the board -- including representatives of government, business, utilities, environmental groups and consumers -- to generate a report that will help inform decision making and policy development for the next two decades,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin.

The report will be completed by December 2011 and will be paid for over two fiscal years using existing funds within the Power Plant Assessment Program.

A copy of the Executive Order can be viewed here: www.governor.maryland.gov/documents/100721OffShoreWind.pdf