Here's a comprehensive summary of the news report: ## Wes Moore's Green Energy Agenda Under Scrutiny Amidst Soaring Power Prices **News Title:** Wes Moore’s ‘green energy agenda’ tested as power prices jump more than 1,000% since 2023 **Report Provider:** WBFF (Spotlight on Maryland) **Author:** GARY COLLINS | Spotlight on Maryland **Date Covered:** The report discusses events and data leading up to and around July 2025, with specific reference to a capacity auction price for 2026. --- ### Executive Summary The Mid-Atlantic region's power grid operator, **PJM Interconnection**, is raising concerns about the impact of state policies, particularly Maryland's accelerated green energy agenda under Governor Wes Moore, on electricity prices. PJM warns that the rapid shutdown of fossil fuel generators, coupled with surging electricity demand and economic growth, is leading to record-high electricity costs for consumers. Governor Moore, however, maintains that his green energy initiatives are not increasing electricity bills and are, in fact, beneficial to ratepayers. --- ### Key Findings and Conclusions * **Record High Capacity Auction Prices:** PJM announced that its capacity auction price for **2026** has surged to **$329.17 per megawatt (MW)**. This represents a **22% increase** from the previous year and a staggering **1038% increase** compared to the **$28.92 per MW** clearing price in **2023**, the year Governor Moore took office. * **Supply vs. Demand Imbalance:** PJM attributes the price hikes to a shrinking energy supply colliding with rapid economic growth and increased electricity demand. Existing fossil fuel generators are retiring due to a combination of economic factors and state/federal decarbonization policies, without adequate replacement generation coming online. * **Maryland's Energy Shortfall:** Maryland, which already imports the majority of its energy, has lost **6,000 MW** of electricity generation since **2018**, while only adding **1,600 MW**. This net loss of **4,400 MW** contributes to the regional supply issues. * **Governor Moore's Stance:** Governor Wes Moore firmly denies that his green energy agenda is increasing electricity bills. He argues that an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy, including solar, wind, and nuclear, provides more options, which, according to basic supply and demand principles, should lower prices. He believes these initiatives are helping ratepayers and protecting the environment. * **Delays in New Generation:** While PJM has approved **46,000 MW** of new generation capacity, much of it remains unbuilt due to global supply chain issues, state and federal permitting delays, and financing challenges. * **Offshore Wind Setbacks:** Offshore wind is a cornerstone of Governor Moore's clean energy plan, with a goal to reach 100% carbon-free energy generation by **2035**. However, recent federal actions have created setbacks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has demanded Maryland regulators fix its offshore wind permits, stating they were issued incorrectly, with the potential to void approvals if not reissued in compliance. New York utility regulators have also revoked permits for a major offshore wind project, citing shifts in federal energy priorities. * **PJM's Warning to Policymakers:** PJM has been warning policymakers for years about the potential consequences of supply/demand fundamentals on grid reliability and cost. They recommend avoiding policies that push generation off the system until sufficient replacement generation is operational. --- ### Key Statistics and Metrics * **2026 Capacity Auction Price:** **$329.17 per MW** * **2025 Capacity Auction Price:** (Implied to be 22% lower than 2026 price) * **2023 Capacity Auction Price:** **$28.92 per MW** * **Percentage Increase (2023 to 2026):** **1038%** * **Maryland Electricity Generation Loss (2018-Present):** **6,000 MW** * **Maryland Electricity Generation Addition (2018-Present):** **1,600 MW** * **Net Loss in Maryland Generation:** **4,400 MW** * **Approved New Generation Capacity (Regionally):** **46,000 MW** * **Maryland's Carbon-Free Energy Target:** **100% by 2035** (accelerated from statutory requirement) --- ### Important Recommendations PJM's key recommendation to Maryland policymakers is to: * **Avoid efforts meant to push generation off the system until an adequate quantity of replacement generation is online and operating.** --- ### Significant Trends or Changes * **Accelerated Green Energy Push:** Maryland is rapidly advancing its green energy goals, aiming for carbon-free energy generation by 2035. * **Rapid Retirement of Fossil Fuel Generators:** State and federal decarbonization policies are leading to the shutdown of older fossil fuel power plants. * **Increasing Electricity Demand:** Economic growth in the region is driving up the demand for electricity. * **Federal Scrutiny on Offshore Wind:** Federal agencies are reviewing and potentially impacting the progress of offshore wind projects, a key component of Maryland's clean energy strategy. --- ### Notable Risks or Concerns * **Grid Reliability:** PJM warns that the shrinking energy supply and increasing demand could compromise the ability to reliably operate the power grid. * **Consumer Costs:** Record-high capacity auction prices are expected to translate into higher electricity bills for consumers. * **Policy Misalignment:** A disconnect exists between the state's accelerated green energy policies and the pace of new, clean energy generation coming online, as highlighted by PJM. * **Offshore Wind Project Viability:** Federal permitting issues and policy shifts pose risks to the successful development of crucial offshore wind projects. --- ### Material Financial Data The most significant financial data presented is the **capacity auction price**, which directly influences electricity costs for consumers. The increase from **$28.92 per MW in 2023 to $329.17 per MW for 2026** indicates a substantial rise in the cost of securing electricity capacity for the grid. This 1038% jump underscores the financial implications of the current energy market dynamics.
Wes Moore’s ‘green energy agenda’ tested as power prices jump more than 1,000% since 2023
Read original at WBFF →ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — The Mid-Atlantic region’s 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 to record highs for consumers.Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has claimed there’s no evidence that his accelerated green energy agenda is increasing electricity bills for residents, despite concerns from PJM Interconnection that a shrinking energy supply is colliding with rapid economic growth.
Spotlight on Maryland asked PJM on Thursday whether Maryland’s 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. Jeffrey Shields, the senior manager of external communications at PJM, provided a lengthy response by email.
Existing supply has been leaving the system due primarily to state and federal decarbonization policies and some economics,” Shields said. “In any market, when demand is up and supply is down, there will be an increase in pricing.”“PJM 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,” Shields added.
On Tuesday, PJM announced its capacity auction price for 2026 had jumped to $329.17 per megawatt (MW) – 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.What’s a capacity auction – and why it mattersPJM 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.ALSO READ | Is Maryland heading towards an 'energy cliff' due to Wes Moore's green energy agenda?As traditional power plants retire faster than replacements come online, PJM says the system is becoming more fragile – and expensive.
“Generators are retiring in Maryland due to a mixture of economic and policy justifications and without replacement generation in place,” PJM warned in a two-page brief after last year’s 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.
Moore continues green energy pushAt an unrelated event in Baltimore on July 17, Spotlight on Maryland asked Moore if his green energy agenda is disrupting the state’s energy market and costing Marylanders, as they are experiencing a tough state economy.Not at all,” Moore said. “There 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’s actually helping.”“The best thing you can do is provide more options for ratepayers. If you provide more options, it’s 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,” Moore added.
But PJM contends that current green energy initiatives aren’t keeping up with the demand – 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.
Offshore wind faces federal setbackMoore has made offshore wind 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 – a full decade ahead of the state’s statutory requirement.
The governor said that offshore wind would be crucial for the state to replace fossil fuel plants with clean, renewable energy.“The POWER Act will nearly quadruple our offshore wind goals so we can build off the great work of our partners at Tradepoint Atlantic, our partners at Orsted, and our partners at US Wind to make Maryland the offshore capital of the United States,” Moore said in April 2023.
Spotlight on Maryland reported in early July that the sites previously scheduled to open in summer 2025 remain mostly unchanged since the governor broke ground at the facilities.When Spotlight on Maryland asked Moore how offshore wind will increase the supply that he says his administration is seeking to accomplish in his all-of-the-above generation approach, he said:Well, when you’re talking about all-of-the-above energy options, that includes solar, that includes wind, that includes nuclear, that includes all of the various options that we have on board to make sure we are increasing supply,” Moore said.
“If you are having increased demand, as we are seeing in the state of Maryland, you have to increase supply.”“If you do not increase supply, then you will end up having jacked up prices, and that means all the ratepayers get hosed, so what we are trying to do is just provide every single option possible and make it available to people at a scalable way that both brings prices down and bring inventory up,” Moore added.
ALSO READ | Wes Moore, developer vows to push forward with offshore wind despite major blows from fedsMoore’s unclear response comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency demanded two weeks ago that Maryland regulators fix its offshore wind permits, which it said were issued incorrectly. The EPA added that failure to reissue permits in compliance with its terms could void Maryland’s offshore wind approval.
New York utility regulators revoked their permits for a multibillion-dollar offshore wind project last week, citing a shift in federal energy priorities and the need to protect the state’s electricity ratepayers.“What we’ve seen over the last several months from the federal government hasn’t been a simple change in policy, but a wholesale departure from long-established norms,” said Rory Christian, New York Public Service Commission chairman.
“In time, the winds of national policy will shift. When they do, we will be ready. But in the meantime, we have to focus our attention on building the clean energy infrastructure we need.”PJM’s warning to policymakersThe grid operator outlined three key points for Maryland policymakers to focus on in its publication to reduce record-high energy costs, warning them not to shut down energy sources until replacements are in place.
Avoid efforts meant to push generation off the system until an adequate quantity of replacement generation is online and operating,” PJM said.Shields reiterated the warning about green energy solutions being pursued across the region in his email response Thursday to Spotlight on Maryland.Meanwhile, Del.
Chris Tomlinson, R-Carroll and Frederick Counties, said he is not confident Maryland is on the right path to protect ratepayers, instead remaining overly focused on green energy solutions as the rest of the nation shifts.“I don’t think any of the bills that we passed are going to make a dent in what we are seeing on our [electricity] bills month after month,” Tomlinson said.
“I don’t ever like to think there is no hope, so I don’t want to say that, but unfortunately, I think it is going to have to get worse until Democratic leadership finally wakes up and says we are going to have to make major changes.”Follow Gary Collins with Spotlight on Maryland on X and Instagram.
Do you have news tips on this story or others? Send news tips to gmcollins@sbgtv.com.Spotlight on Maryland is a collaboration between FOX45 News, WJLA in Washington, D.C., and The Baltimore Sun.
