ANNAPOLIS - In a legislative session dominated by energy issues, some state leaders are exploring the idea of more nuclear energy as an option for power generation in Maryland.
Bills introduced by Gov. Wes Moore and Democratic leadership would open the door to building new nuclear energy projects in Maryland. The governor's bill would also count nuclear energy toward the state's clean energy goals.
"To address resource adequacy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, I think there's a large number of people who say we should pursue this as aggressively as we can," said Paul Pinsky, director of the Maryland Energy Administration.
The state's clean energy goals and worries about having enough power are putting pressure on lawmakers to consider building more nuclear. Maryland already has one nuclear power plant, which provides about 40% of all energy produced in the state.
Both the ENERGIZE Maryland Act and the Next Generation Energy Act would create a procurement process for new nuclear projects. The ENERGIZE Act is being sponsored by state leaders in the House and Senate at the governor's request, and the Next Generation Energy Act is part of an energy package introduced by Maryland General Assembly leadership.
"Alongside the state legislature and other stakeholders, the Moore-Miller Administration is continuing to explore all available options, including nuclear energy, to help meet Maryland's environmental and clean energy goals," the governor's office said in an emailed statement. "The governor understands the need for sustainable and cost-effective infrastructure to ensure the reliability of our grid and build the economy of the future in our state, which is why this session he has introduced the ENERGIZE Act, to help create more in-state clean energy generation, invest in Maryland's workforce, and help Maryland ratepayers."
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The ENERGIZE Act would also classify nuclear as clean energy. It may not be a renewable source of energy, Pinsky said, but nuclear doesn't emit greenhouse gases and the bill would count it towards the state's clean energy goals.
"I think if you're looking for affordable and reliable and clean energy, nuclear does check those three boxes," said House Minority Whip Del. Jesse Pippy, a Republican from Frederick County.
Del. Chao Wu, a Democrat from Howard and Montgomery counties, is a co-sponsor of the ENERGIZE Act and supports nuclear as a source of clean, affordable energy.
"I think by managing nuclear power safely, we can offer a better future for our residents,'" Wu said.
Not everyone is supportive of new nuclear energy in the state.
"Maryland should be alarmed that state leaders want to build out these astronomically expensive and dangerous nuclear plants in Maryland to meet the state's energy needs," said Jorge Aguilar, the southern region director for the nonprofit Food & Water Watch.
These plants would be expensive to build and produce hazardous nuclear waste, he said. He thinks Maryland should be pushing the grid operator to approve renewable energy projects faster.
"I think Maryland leaders really need to double down on truly clean energy, like wind and solar, as well as batteries," he said. "Not nuclear."
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Wu says that the state has been safely managing its nuclear energy for decades.
"We have nuclear power in Maryland already," he said. "It's not [like] we're doing something new."
Del. Lorig Charkoudian, a Democrat from Montgomery County, said that new nuclear power may be built in Maryland if these bills pass. She's uncertain when any new projects would be built, though, because modern nuclear technologies are still too new.
"I think at some point it will probably be available, and if we pass these bills, I suspect it will get built here at some point," she said.
Charkoudian supports other bills about long-term energy planning and analysis to get a better idea of when new nuclear installations could be up and running.
New nuclear technologies include small modular reactors, or SMRs. They're supposed to be quicker to build and take up less space, Pinsky said, though none are operating in the United States yet.
Charkoudian is sponsoring the Abundant, Affordable Clean Energy Act, which focuses on building quickly deployable energy projects like battery storage and solar. It also supports relicensing the state's nuclear plant.
"It is clear to me that we need to keep our current nuclear plants running and relicensed," she said.
Resource adequacy - making sure energy supply matches demand - has been part of this push to explore nuclear.
The grid operator, PJM, "has made a whole lot of mistakes," said Sen. Jim Rosapepe, a Democrat from Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties, leading to high rates and worries about energy reliability.
He's co-sponsoring the Decarbonization Infrastructure Solutions Act that would classify nuclear as renewable energy and set up a procurement process.
"Nuclear is not the solution. Nuclear is potentially a part of the solution," he said, one of many options for the state to consider.
High energy prices have led lawmakers to consider more nuclear energy, said Adam Dubitsky, the consulting state director of the Maryland Land & Liberty Coalition. He supports relicensing the nuclear power plant in Calvert County and exploring new nuclear development in the state.
"It's really only been over the last couple of months in Maryland that families and businesses have seen their electric bills go through the roof. As a result, politicians are scrambling to find a solution," he said.
Pippy said that recent state energy policy is at fault because its emphasis on environmental goals caused energy producers to leave Maryland. Maryland's current energy situation represents "self-inflicted wounds," he said, and he hasn't heard of any proposed short-term solutions.
"I think Marylanders are at a point where they're fed up," Pippy said. "They expect their government to assist them in providing affordable and reliable energy."
"When you consider nuclear, the fact that it is reliable, affordable, and clean energy ... I think that's certainly something that we should look at," he said.