SB 937 Maryland Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Electricity and Gas - Emissions Reductions, Rate Regulation, Cost Recovery, Infrastructure, Planning, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, and Energy Assistance Programs (Next Generation Energy Act)

SB 937 requires Maryland's Energy Administration to coordinate with state agencies and neighboring states to advance new nuclear power projects, including cost-sharing agreements and federal site partnerships. It establishes a new process for approving nuclear energy generation projects and mandates that electric companies procure nuclear energy from a special fund. The bill prohibits electricity suppliers from selling power directly to large commercial/industrial customers (defined as those with 100+ megawatt demand) without using the state's transmission system. These changes directly affect electricity suppliers, nuclear developers, and large energy users by restructuring procurement, financing, and sales rules for nuclear power.

Issues: ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Signed May 20, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Third - Electricity and Gas - Emissions Reductions, Rate Regulation, Cost Recovery, Infrastructure, Planning, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, and Energy Assistance Programs (Next Generation Energy Act) → Enrolled - Electricity and Gas - Emissions Reductions, Rate Regulation, Cost Recovery, Infrastructure, Planning, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, and Energy Assistance Programs (Next Generation Energy Act) · 3 edits · May 20, 2025

MINOR

The bill has progressed from a Senate draft to its final enrolled version, primarily involving the removal of internal committee tracking information and the insertion of formal language required for the Governor's signature. The substantive policy content regarding energy generation, rate regulation, and emissions targets remains unchanged.

Scope change

The scope of the legislation itself has not changed; the differences are administrative formatting updates required to finalize the bill for executive approval.

TECHNICAL

Removed internal Senate metadata such as committee assignments, report dates, and amendment markers, replacing them with standard enrolled bill headers and proofreader signatures.

Inserted a formal 'Read and Examined by Proofreaders' section with blank lines for official signatures, a standard requirement for bills presented to the Governor.

Adjusted the layout of the explanatory notes regarding capitalization and formatting conventions to match the final enrolled style.

First - Public Utilities - Electricity Generation Planning - Procurement, Permitting, and Co-Location (Next Generation Energy Act) → Third - Electricity and Gas - Emissions Reductions, Rate Regulation, Cost Recovery, Infrastructure, Planning, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, and Energy Assistance Programs (Next Generation Energy Act) · 8 edits

MODERATE

SB 937 was significantly expanded from a narrow focus on nuclear energy procurement to a comprehensive energy bill covering emissions reductions, rate regulation, infrastructure planning, and renewable energy standards. The bill now includes provisions for multifamily housing emissions reductions, gas infrastructure cost recovery, and expanded renewable energy portfolio requirements alongside the original nuclear energy provisions.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from primarily nuclear energy generation and procurement to include emissions reductions, gas infrastructure, rate regulation, and renewable energy portfolio standards.

SCOPE

Added provisions for the Department of Housing and Community Development to issue loans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from multifamily residential buildings.

Modified the bill title to include electricity and gas emissions reductions, rate regulation, cost recovery, infrastructure planning, renewable energy portfolio standards, and energy assistance programs.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for public service companies to demonstrate reasonableness of labor use in rate proceedings and to submit specific rate schedules for large load customers.

Added requirements for investor-owned electric companies to submit plans for constructing front-of-the-meter energy storage devices.

Added requirements for electric companies to procure zero-emission credits from an escrow account.

Added requirements for the Department of Human Services to report on changes necessary to implement certain recommendations.

Added provisions for gas companies to file infrastructure replacement plans with specific requirements for cost recovery.

FISCAL

Added provisions allowing certain Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund funds to be used in a specific manner during a certain fiscal year.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 22, 2025 · House of Delegates Mar 22, 2025

How they voted

35–10

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 46

Mar 22, 2025

D Democratic33

32 Yea 1

96% Yea

R Republican13

3 Yea 10 Nay

76% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 20, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 625

executive

Apr 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Enrolled

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Introduced

Senate Concurs House Amendments

upper

Apr 5, 2025

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Apr 5, 2025

Introduced

Floor Amendment {

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Motion Special Order until 04/04 (Delegate Crosby) Adopted

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Economic Matters

lower

Apr 2, 2025

Committee

Rereferred to Economic Matters

lower

Apr 2, 2025

Committee

Referred Rules and Executive Nominations

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Apr 1, 2025

Introduced

Floor Amendment {

upper

Apr 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Motion Laid Over (Senator Augustine) Adopted

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Mar 22, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (35-10-1)

senate

Feb 3, 2025

Committee

First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

5 primary · 0 co-sponsors