Latest news with #ClimateSolutionsAffordabilityAct
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Baltimore City, County residents share thoughts on energy costs, crime, local services in UMBC poll
Baltimore City and County residents shared their thoughts on quality of life issues, government services and local amenities in a recent UMBC poll. The poll surveyed 642 adults in Baltimore City and 628 adults in Baltimore County between April 1 and April 6. About 82% of Baltimore City residents and 79% of Baltimore County residents considered the cost of household energy bills as a major issue in their communities, the survey found. Recently, Maryland lawmakers and local leaders have taken action to address the rise in energy costs. In February, the Baltimore City Council called on the Public Service Commission to stop Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE)'s rate hikes planned for 2026. During the 2025 legislative session, Maryland lawmakers introduced several bills to address rising utility costs. The Ratepayer Protection Act would require energy companies to lower spending on pipelines, and the Climate Solutions Affordability Act would allow climate requirements to only be carried out if they are affordable. Neither bill passed. Crime and public safety were major issues for 83% of Baltimore City residents compared to 68% of Baltimore County residents, according to the poll. Despite the majority of city residents considering crime a concern, violent crime has dropped in the city so far this year. As of April 1, homicides are down 22% and non-fatal shootings are down 28% compared to 2024, Baltimore City data shows. According to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott , violent crime is down 20% and robberies are down 22%. The mayor credits the city's violence prevention plan for the drop in crime rates. The poll also questioned city and county residents on their satisfaction with local government services like K-12 schools, emergency services and infrastructure maintenance. About 23% of city residents and 36% of county residents were satisfied with K-12 schools. Nearly 58% of city residents and 77% of county residents were satisfied with the responsiveness of emergency services, according to the survey. The survey found that a low number of residents were satisfied with the maintenance of local infrastructure, streets and public spaces, with 24% of city residents and 49% of county residents reporting their satisfaction. Residents were also less than satisfied with policing and the criminal justice system. About 33% of city residents and 57% of county residents were satisfied with public safety in their communities. 29% of city residents reported they were satisfied with the criminal justice system, while 38% of county residents reported their satisfaction. The survey found that many Baltimore City and county residents had a positive outlook on local amenities, including sports venues, outdoor spaces and animal shelters. The survey found that 67% of city residents and 55% of county residents rated local sports venues as good or excellent. 68% of city residents rated arts and music venues highly compared to 44% of county residents. About 63% of Baltimore County residents rated local parks and outdoor spaces highly, compared to 48% of city residents. In both the city and county, 40% of residents believed local animal shelters were excellent or good.
CBS News
26-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Marylanders share opinions on healthcare, energy and environment in UMBC poll
A majority of Marylanders who participated in a UMBC survey support expanding different sources of energy such as solar, natural gas and wind energy. It comes as energy prices have become a major concern for residents, business owners and lawmakers. The poll surveyed 803 adults in Maryland between Feb. 11 and Feb. 15. 769 of those Marylanders said they were registered voters. The poll questioned residents on the natural environment, energy sources and healthcare concerns. When asked about supporting or opposing the expansion of energy sources: 80% said they support expanding the use of solar energy 74% said they support expanding the use of natural gas 70% said they support expanding the use of wind energy 68% said they support expanding the use of waste-to-energy 63% said they support expanding the use of geothermal energy 51% said they support expanding the use of nuclear energy 42% said they support expanding the use of coal According to the poll, 59% of surveyed Marylanders said the overall quality of the natural environment is "excellent" or "good," while 40% said the state's environment is "poor" or "fair." Energy concerns in Maryland Energy sources have been a major concern in Maryland so far in 2025. Since the beginning of the year, state leaders and residents have raised concerns about skyrocketing energy bills, while others shared concerns about environmental impacts. The Baltimore City Council recently confronted utility company BGE over its rising energy and gas bills. Councilmembers called on the Public Service Commission - which regulates BGE - to end a multi-year rate pilot and stop rate increases planned for 2026. BGE said bills increased due to rate hikes at the beginning of 2025, distribution costs and increased costs associated with the Empower Maryland program. Some residents and business owners saw their bills increase by about $200. The "unanticipated high bills" prompted BGE to pause service disconnections and waive late payment fees early in the year. Several pieces of legislation have since been introduced as solutions to the rising energy costs, including the Climate Solutions Affordability Act, which would dictate that climate requirements only be carried out if they are economically practical, and the Ratepayer Protection Act which would require gas companies to focus on lowering spending on pipelines. Healthcare concerns in Maryland UMBC's poll also asked Marylanders about urgent healthcare issues in the state. Of the residents surveyed, 37% raised concerns about the cost of care and insurance, 25% raised concerns about chronic health issues, and 12% raised concerns about access to healthcare. According to the poll, 37% of surveyed Marylanders said they, or a member of their household, have avoided seeking medical care in the last year due to the cost. State and local leaders have made efforts in recent years to fund and expand healthcare resources for Marylanders.
CBS News
13-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland lawmakers push for legislation, call for cuts to climate programs to lower energy costs
Members of the Maryland Freedom Caucus are pushing for legislation and calling on Gov. Wes Moore to lower skyrocketing electric prices as residents and business owners continue to share concerns about high bills. The group of Republican lawmakers shared recommendations that they said would lower electric prices for Marylanders immediately and in the long term. "We are hearing from people that they're needing to choose between power and necessities like food and medicine," Del Kathy Szeliga said. "What we're hearing from the other side is puffy long-term solutions. We have yet to hear one thing that would lower power bills immediately." Rep. Andy Harris said residents across the state have raised concerns about high energy bills, not just BGE customers. "Energy inflation has been one of the biggest sources of inflation for the average family," Rep. Harris said. "Every single Marylander has been affected negatively by these soaring power prices," Del. Brian Chisholm said. "All of our offices, anybody with a phone line has been taking calls from Marylanders across the state." The lawmakers criticized energy policies passed by the Maryland General Assembly and said there are several steps the General Assembly can take to lower prices. Climate Solutions Affordability Act Del. Chisholm pointed to the Climate Solutions Affordability Act, or HB1451, as a solution to rising energy costs. The proposed legislation dictates that certain climate requirements be carried out only to an extent that is economically practical. Those climate requirements would include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, achieving zero-emission vehicle goals and adopting certain construction codes. The goals are part of Maryland's Climate Solutions Now Act, which was passed in 2022. The Climate Solutions Affordability Act would make it so that several of the goals and requirements outlined in the 2022 climate legislation would not apply if the cost is not practical. "In layman's terms, if it's going to bankrupt you, you don't have to do it," Del. Chisholm said when explaining the proposed legislation. Chisholm also recommended the EmPower Maryland Energy Efficiency Act be repealed. The legislation was passed by the General Assembly in 2008. Through the program, Maryland's largest electric utility providers are able to offer Marylanders a way to save money. A 2017 study found that the program saved Marylanders more than $4 billion between 2008 and 2015. During a recent interview, a spokesperson for BGE broke down the key costs that go into the total of an electric bill, saying the increased cost of EmPower Maryland is a component. The costs of the program are set by the state. "Every bill has an EmPower Maryland fee for it," Del. Chisholm said. "It applies to every business and every utility ratepayer in this state." "That money needs to stay in the pocket of the ratepayer, not given to the utility company so they can send it to the Department of Housing and Community Development so they can pick and choose winners and losers and decide who gets the benefit," he added. Green Agenda and Power Plants The lawmakers further recommended that Gov. Moore work to keep power plants open and reopen the ones that have closed, saying supply is currently outpacing demand. "That would provide immediate relief to the people of Maryland so that we would have supply meet demand, and maybe even exceed demand," said Del. Mark Fisher. The lawmaker also called on the governor to remove $180 million of his "green agenda," which provides funds for solar and wind energy projects in the state. "We're not saying solar and wind are bad, we're saying they do not provide sufficient power and we shouldn't be using taxpayer money for that purpose," Del. Fisher said. Del. Fisher also said he sent a letter to the Secretary Chris Wright of the Department of Energy, requesting federal intervention. BGE rate hikes face rising electric bill costs. In January, some residents reported a more than $200 increase in their bills from month to month. BGE addressed some of the concerns. At first, a spokesperson for the company cited cold weather and said utility increases are to be expected at the beginning of the year. However, those price hikes that began in January should have been about $7.77 on average. During an interview with WJZ on Wednesday, BGE Spokesperson Nick Alexopulos explained the key components of the electric bill, which include a distribution cost, a spike in natural gas prices and the EmPower Maryland fee.
