In December of 2025 a final switch was flipped and 160 megawatts of electricity started flowing onto Maryland’s grid from the biggest solar farm in the entire state, the Backbone power project in Garrett County. To give you a sense of how big 160 megawatts is, this project will produce more electricity than all the homes in Garrett County combined use in a year. When Backbone Power came online, it single handedly increased the total amount of solar power installed in Maryland by over 5%.

The project would be newsworthy just because of its size, but on top of that it also happens to be located on an old coal mine and is now providing local and state tax revenue that was lost when that coal mine closed.

This project is a great example of the tremendous benefits we get out of investing in the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard in terms of jobs, tax revenue, and instate generation, but to me it also feels like a symbol of possibility, proof in miniature that transitioning to the clean economy is possible and beneficial. To talk all about this project, the Maryland energy policies that made it possible, and what lawmakers can do to make sure more projects like this one keep coming online, I am joined by Mike Resca, the executive Vice-President of CPV Renewables, the company that developed the backbone solar project.

Among the many changes made by Speaker Pena-Melnyk is moving energy issues from the Economic Matters Committee to the Environment and Transportation Committee. This is a change represents a shift in how energy issues are contextualized, from primarily being a matter of economic development, to being about the environment.

This move sends the hot potato of energy issues to Chair Korman, who is my guest today to talk all about how he sees energy issues and what is thinking is at the start of the 2026 legislative session.

Chair Korman and Subcommittee Chairman Fraser-Hidalgo also organized a series of briefings on energy issues for their committee. The briefings are terrific and I have linked them below:

Briefing with representatives from the Texas and California grids:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TmrH9_gTT4

Briefing with PJM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGgmp90GXTk

Briefing with clean energy industry and climate advocates:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeQTOdRrkwY

Briefing with the Maryland Department of the Environment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq5DG5aol_0

Briefing with utilities and Constellation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VVmGE_QV-E

Briefing with the Maryland Energy Administration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWUMUyIJpX0

Briefing with the Public Service Commission and the Office of the People’s Counsel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWNtXARBAk8

Building new transmission is extremely costly and highly controversial but at the same time we know that more transmission will be needed on our electric grid as energy demand continues to grow. Is it possible for us to ensure the grid is capable of moving energy where it needs to go without breaking the bank or seizing property through eminent domain?

The SAVINGS Act, introduced by Delegate Qi and Senator Hester, would deploy grid enhancing technologies that will allow us to get more transmission capability without building new transmission lines. To talk all about this bill, why it is necessary and how it works, I am joined by Katie Mettle who is the Policy Principal for Maryland and New Jersey at Advanced Energy United