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HB 40

Public Utilities - Transmission Lines - Advanced Transmission Technologies

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Lorig Charkoudian

HB 40 empowers Maryland's PSC to approve utility deployment of advanced transmission technologies to upgrade grid capacity and reliability without building new transmission lines.

Hearing 2/03 at 2:00 p.m.
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Bill Summary · HB 40

Legislative bill overview

HB 40 authorizes Maryland's Public Service Commission to evaluate and approve advanced transmission technologies for electric utilities, potentially including high-capacity conductors, energy storage systems, and other grid modernization infrastructure. The bill creates a framework for utilities to deploy these technologies to enhance grid reliability and capacity without requiring traditional large-scale transmission line expansion.

Why is this important

Maryland's aging electric grid faces increasing demand from electrification, data centers, and renewable energy integration. Advanced transmission technologies could upgrade capacity more quickly and with less environmental disruption than constructing new physical transmission lines, while potentially reducing costs and land use impacts.

Potential points of contention

  • Regulatory uncertainty: The bill grants broad discretion to the PSC without specifying technology standards, cost-benefit criteria, or approval timelines, which could lead to inconsistent decisions or delays
  • Ratepayer costs: Unclear whether utilities can automatically pass technology deployment costs to consumers or if rate-limiting mechanisms exist to protect customers from excessive grid modernization expenses
  • Environmental trade-offs: While reducing some land impacts, some advanced technologies (like certain conductor types or energy storage systems) may have their own environmental or manufacturing footprints that warrant closer scrutiny
  • Timeline and implementation: First hearing scheduled for February 2026; bill's success depends on PSC having adequate resources and expertise to evaluate complex emerging technologies

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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