States are cutting their way to higher electricity bills

On April 13, Maryland’s General Assembly passed what its House Speaker called the crown jewel of the 2026 session. The Utility RELIEF Act, its supporters tout, will save the average household at least $150 a year on electricity bills — a number that Democratic leaders in Annapolis were careful to describe as a floor, not a ceiling. Governor Wes Moore signed it the same day.

The reality is that clean energy and affordability are not actually in tension, and the real drivers of high bills are gas prices and utility capex. The Acadia Center’s Kyle Murray, when speaking about this recent trend of cuts to efficiency programs, put it directly:

“The best you could say is that it is going after short-term affordability at the expense of long-term affordability.”

To read the full article from Latitude Media, click here.