House Energy Testimony from Maryland Public Service Commissioner, RGGI Chair Kelly Speakes-Backman (Sept. 9, 2014)

Maryland Public Service Commissioner Kelly Speakes-Backman told the Energy and Power Subcommittee that it’s possible to achieve the carbon emissions reductions without jeopardizing reliability or causing surges in electricity prices.

Maryland’s in-state generation is predominately coal. As a part of RGGI and coupled with state energy initiatives, we have diversified our fuel mix and reduced our carbon footprint. Since 2005 our generation from renewables, nuclear energy, and natural gas as a percentage of our total generation mix has increased from 36 percent to 55 percent, while our generation from coal has decreased from 56 percent to 44 percent.

See her full testimony here. Or look for the committee video here.