The PJM Interconnection’s recent capacity auction could increase electricity bills in Maryland by up to 24% starting in mid-2025, according to a report by Synapse Energy Economics. Ratepayers in the Baltimore Gas and Electric “locational deliverability area” could see their bills increase by an additional 5%, or about $250 a year for residential customers and nearly $2,700 for commercial customers. The study also found that Maryland, a net electricity importer, needs new transmission lines and generating plants. Consumers across PJM’s Mid-Atlantic and Midwest will pay $14.7 billion for capacity in 2025/26 delivery year, up from $2.2 billion in its auction last month. The main driver for the rate increase in the BGE zone are the RMR contracts for Talen’�s Brandon Shores and Wagner power plants, which the company had planned to retire in mid 2025. The capacity auction results will increase bills by 10% in the Pepco zone, Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, and by 2% in Maryland’s Delmarva Power South zone.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
