By Delegate Matt Morgan
For months now, we’ve been sounding the alarm on skyrocketing energy costs, the lack of adequate power generation in Maryland, and the danger this poses to our communities. Annapolis has shut down 7 of Maryland’s 9 Power Plants and is planning to shut down the remaining 2 plants in the near future. We’ve written to Governor Wes Moore, the Trump Administration, and Secretary Wright at the Department of Energy, pointing out the dire consequences if action isn’t taken. And finally, we’ve seen some movement—but it shouldn’t have taken this long.
The Wagner Unit-4 power plant in Anne Arundel County is restricted to operating only 483 hours per year under the terms of a 2020 settlement between the Sierra Club and Talen Energy. This agreement not only imposed operational limits but also set a timeline for the retirement of both the Wagner plant and the Brandon Shores facility, with decommissioning scheduled to be completed this year. While that was temporarily paused through 2029 due to a recently enacted Reliability Must Run agreement with the Sierra Club, Wagner Unit-4 was still limited to operating at peak capacity. Just days ago, PJM, our grid operator, raised the red flag that Wagner Unit-4 had fewer than 80 hours left to operate this year, leaving us on the brink of rolling blackouts. Imagine the chaos that could have ensued.
Fortunately, Secretary Wright and the Department of Energy intervened with a 202(c) emergency order under the Federal Power Act (FPA), mandating the plant run at full capacity whenever necessary through October of this year. This is the exact action we requested last month in our own letter to Secretary Wright, and this decision prevented a crisis. But let’s be clear—this issue shouldn’t have come down to the federal government stepping in. Governor Wes Moore had every opportunity to act, and he could have issued an executive order to keep the plant running. Instead, he chose to sit back and let Washington fix it. Yesterday, we sent him a letter reminding him of this.
It’s refreshing to see the Trump Administration put common sense ahead of ideology—a stark contrast to the stranglehold environmental groups have over state leadership. This is about keeping the lights on, protecting families, and ensuring our economy functions. Energy policy shouldn’t be dictated by extreme agendas, but by what’s best for the people.