Posted on 09/24/25
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 24, 2025 - Gov. Wes Moore and other Maryland state leaders announced a rebate on Monday to help residents with energy costs, while Republicans criticized the plan.
The announcement came from the Randallstown Community Center.
Moore said that the rebate comes from the Next Generation Energy Act that took effect on July 1.
The state will be making $200 million available in direct energy rebates to lower energy bills.
Officials said that every Maryland household will receive two bill credits, with each rebate coming out to about $40 per utility bill.
“The reason we are so passionate about the issue of energy affordability is because we hear from our constituents about it every day,” said Gov. Moore. “Marylanders are deeply frustrated, and their frustration is justified. In partnership with the General Assembly, we will continue to do anything and everything to ensure that the people of our state are getting relief. Because together, we stand with the people – today, tomorrow, and always.”
Senate President Bill Ferguson said that the first credit is expected to come when the summer ends, with another being sent out in the winter, when bills are expected to be high.
“This past session, we built our work around one clear goal: lowering utility bills through affordable, reliable, and predictable energy,” said Ferguson. “Maryland’s $200 million energy rebate is a critical part of that goal.”
Maryland Senate Republicans argued that Monday's announcement is not a solution to the energy crisis, but rather, an admission of failure.
Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey released the following statement:
Governor Moore isn’t giving out relief — he’s just recycling ratepayer money Maryland families already paid on their utility bills. Instead of fixing the failed policies that caused rates to skyrocket in the first place, Democrats are raiding the Strategic Energy Investment Fund as a short-term political gimmick. Every dollar in that fund came from ratepayers, and it should be returned to all of them, not just handed out in a one-off program so the Governor can score headlines.
Senate Republicans said that if Moore and Democratic leaders cared about affordability, they would address the root cause of the high utility rates, which they believe is catering to environmental activists.
Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready released the following statement on the plan:
Energy rates just went up again and will continue climbing every six months because the Democratic Supermajority in Annapolis ignored the short-term energy crisis. This ‘relief’ plan doesn’t change that reality — it’s a Band-Aid that masks the real wound. Marylanders deserve a long-term solution to lower energy costs, not another socialist transfer of their own money designed to cover up bad decisions in the State House.