LTE by Jamie DeMarco, CCAN’s former Maryland Director, initially published in the Baltimore Sun.

The recent op-ed, “Rising energy costs demand action in Maryland,” omits the most basic fact of energy today: The reliable energy source that is the most affordable and fastest to deploy is solar paired with batteries. Expensive fossil fuels are causing energy bills to increase, and affordable clean energy is the solution. For example, right now, Marylanders are paying $180 million a year to subsidize a coal plant because coal is so expensive they can’t operate without bailouts.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, solar paired with batteries is cheaper than even a gas power plant. The total cost per megawatt hour of solar and batteries is $53.44, while the cost per megawatt hour of a gas plant is $64.55. Not only are they cheaper, but solar and battery power plants can be built much faster than a gas plant. If you ordered a turbine used in a gas power plant today, it would not even arrive for 4-6 years, whereas clean energy companies are shovel-ready today.

Texas has proved that it is possible to meet skyrocketing energy demand with clean, affordable energy. In Texas, where energy demand is growing faster than anywhere else in the world, the chance of a blackout decreased from 16% in summer 2024 to less than 1% in summer 2025 because in that time, Texas deployed 9,000 megawatts of solar and batteries. In the same time period, Texas saw a net decrease in natural gas capacity.

The only serious way to meet rising energy demand and lower the cost of electricity quickly is to build a lot of solar and batteries. That’s why we should all thank Chairman Brian Feldman and Chairman C.T. Wilson for passing the Renewable Energy Certainty Act in the Maryland General Assembly, which will help solar be built faster. On top of that, Senate President Bill Ferguson and former House Speaker Adrienne Jones should be applauded for passing legislation that will build 1,600 megawatts of battery storage. The great Del. Lorig Charkoudian and Sen. Benjamin Brooks are also introducing a terrific piece of legislation that will help even more solar get built in Maryland, lowering all of our energy bills.

LTE by Jamie DeMarco, CCAN’s former Maryland Director, initially published in the Baltimore Sun.