Why are Maryland's Electric Bills Rising?

Host Jason Michael Perry sits down with Jason Stanek, Executive Director of Governmental Services at PJM Interconnection, to unpack why Maryland electricity bills keep climbing — and how the structure of the grid itself is at the center of the problem. Maryland is a net importer — the state produces about 60 percent of the electricity it uses and buys the rest from the regional market. Stanek explains what that actually means: who generates power, who moves it, and who delivers it to your door. He walks through how PJM — the organization that coordinates electricity across 13 states and 65 million people — fits into the system, and why Maryland’s dependence on regional supply has become so expensive as data center demand drives capacity costs sharply higher. The conversation covers the double squeeze on Maryland ratepayers: BGE’s multi-year infrastructure investment plan pushing distribution costs up at the same time that regional generation costs are rising. Stanek also explains the stalled renewable buildout, the fight over the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project transmission line, and what a new deal between Entergy Louisiana and Meta suggests about how states can push data centers to pay their fair share. Plus: what regular Marylanders can actually do about their bills, including BGE’s time-of-use rate program that rewards off-peak energy use. Sponsors This episode is brought to you by: PerryLabs   Invested in AI but is not seeing results? You’re not alone. PerryLabs helps organizations find what’s working and build what’s next. Start with our AI Assessment at PerryLabs.io HoopDee   Got a baby on the way? HoopDee tracks breast milk and formula with our smart Hoops and free app so you always know what’s fresh, what’s next, and what’s expired. Save 20% off using promo code: thoughts. For more information, visit gethoopdee.com. Podcast Notes & Links PJM Interconnection — Who We Are EIA State Energy Profiles — Maryland WYPR — What Would Happen If Maryland Left the Nation's Largest Power Grid? CNS Maryland — As Data Centers Multiply, Maryland's Power Grid Struggles to Keep Up BGE Residential EV Programs & Time-of-Use Rate TechCrunch — $1B DOE Loan to Restart Three Mile Island Anthropic Exposed 512,000 Lines of Its Own Code WTCI AGILE: Energy Discussion with Panelists Including Jason Stanek Subscribe & Contact Subscribe to the Thoughts on Tech & Things newsletter: jasonmperry.com/newsletter Send feedback, questions, or guest suggestions: jasonmperry.com/contact Credits Thanks to the team at WYPR, our producer Shanya Mapson, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.