(WBFF) — Lawmakers and activists joined a FOX45 Town Hall to speak about Maryland’s ongoing energy crisis and demand action.
Joanne Frederick, president of the Stop MPRP group, expressed frustration over a lack of communication from Maryland Governor Wes Moore regarding the controversial Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP). Frederick said she met with Gov. Moore’s energy policy adviser in August 2024, but has not received a response to repeated requests for a follow-up meeting.
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Frederick voiced concerns about the governor’s commitment to supporting rural Maryland, protecting farmers, and preserving land. “If he is not going to support rural Maryland, if he is not going to support our farmers, if he is not going to protect our conserved and preserved land and ensure the health of the bay and worry about property values dropping 40%, I would ask him to sit down face to face and tell us the truth,” she said.
The MPRP has faced significant opposition from residents and lawmakers who argue that the project would have catastrophic impacts on local communities. Frederick noted that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recognized deficiencies in the project’s application, which she described as a “big milestone.”
Frederick and other opponents are hopeful that the Public Service Commission (PSC) will scrutinize the project further. “We know there’s a better way,” Frederick said, emphasizing the need for alternative solutions that do not involve destroying land in three Maryland counties.
However, Rob Gramlich, president of a local company focused on transmission and power markets, said regardless of the PSC’s intent, the judiciary could overrule any decision made. “Here’s the risk: if the Maryland Commission rejects [the project]… a federal judge could say ‘I’m sorry, it’s needed for reliability,'” he said. “It was not very long ago where a Pennsylvania commission rejected a line that Maryland residents needed for power and then a federal judge said ‘Sorry, it’s needed.’ You can’t just stand in the way of an interstate line like that.”
The legislative session has seen over 30 bills related to the MPRP, focusing on protecting conserved land and improving planning for Maryland’s future. Delegate Michelle Guyton highlighted House Bill 631, which aimed to prevent eminent domain on preserved land, though it did not advance. “It sends a signal at least to me that perhaps we don’t care about our conserved and preserved land,” Frederick said.
You can watch the full Town Hall above for more from Frederick, Gramlich, Guyton, and other lawmakers and activists on the MPRP and larger energy debate.