CEA’s Mike Butler explains why families in Maryland pay $181.55 more for electricity annually than the national average. These higher costs hit families and individuals who are less well-off harder than others. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the bottom fifth of U.S. households spent 22 percent of their after-tax income on residential utility bills and gasoline in April 2016, many in Maryland included.
When an abundance of low-cost electricity exists but there are no power lines available to move the supply to areas of demand, customers overpay for electricity. That’s where the Independence Energy Connection, a proposed electric transmission project, can help. Just ask PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission operator that determines when infrastructure upgrades or new projects are needed. PJM estimates a regional cost-savings of $622 million for consumers in the first 15 years the project is in service.
Read more – Herald Mail Media
