SB 570

Public Utilities - Thermal Energy Network Systems - Authorization and Establishment (Working for Accessible Renewable Maryland Thermal Heat (WARMTH) Act)

Sponsor: Katie Fry Hester (District 9)Committee: Education, Energy, and the EnvironmentSubject: EnergyStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 563 (as of Nov 13, 2024)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring certain gas companies and authorizing certain gas companies to develop a plan for a pilot thermal energy network system or systems by October 1, 2024; requiring a gas company that serves at least 75,000 customers in its distribution territory to submit either one or two proposals for a pilot system to the Public Service Commission for approval by July 1, 2025; authorizing a municipal corporation, county, or community organization to submit neighborhoods to gas companies for consideration as part of a pilot system; etc.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (51)

MGA witness list

FAV 38FavorableFWA 6Favorable with amendmentsUNF 3UnfavorableINFO 4Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Leonard, Victoria	Baltimore-DC Building Building Trades	Written (PDF)
FAV	Camargo, Ania	Building Decarbonization Coalition	Oral
FAV	Coronado Flores, Jose	CASA	Position only
FAV	Dyballa, Cindy	City of Takoma Park	Written (PDF)
FAV	Held, Karl	Climate Coalition Montgomery County	Written (PDF)
FAV	McGilvray, Laurie	Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Goldberg, Donald M.	Climate Law & Policy Project	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Position only
FAV	Stewart, Frances	Elders Climate Action Maryland	Position only
FAV	Stewart, Wesley	Green & Healthy Homes Initiative	Written (PDF)
FAV	McHale, Michael	IBEW Local 24	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Terwilliger, Brianlobbyist	IBEW Local Union 410	Written (PDF)
FAV	Smith, Virginia	Indivisible HoCo Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Novey, Joelle	Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Santry, Adam	Maryland Geothermal Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Harbeson, Kristenlobbyist	Maryland League of Conservation Voters	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Scarr, Emilylobbyist	Maryland PIRG	Position only
FAV	Sproul, Brett	Maryland Public Service Commission	Oral
FAV	Hoover, Frederick	Maryland PublicService Commission	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fry Hester, Katie	Maryland Senate	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Edwards, Donna	Maryland State & DC AFL-CIO	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fitzgerald, Garrett	Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection	Written (PDF)
FAV	Guitarra, Denisselobbyist	Nature Forward	Written (PDF)
FAV	Woods, Mollie	Office of People's Counsel	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Lewis, Jamal	Rewiring America	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Elaine, Arndt	SELF	Position only
FAV	Shriner, Mariahlobbyist	Sierra Club Maryland Chapter	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jackson, Gerald	UA Local 486/Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO	Written (PDF)
FAV	Egan, Ashleylobbyist	UULM-MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	White, Ruth	www.HoCoClimateAction.org	Written (PDF)
FAV	Arndt, Dave	Individual	Position only
FAV	Bibby, Nick	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cohn, Debbie	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kerr, Cait	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Senator Hester, Senator Hesterlegislator	Individual	Oral
UNF	Kraska, Martinlobbyist	ABC Chesapeake Shores	Written (PDF)
UNF	Raine, James	Individual	Position only
UNF	mcavoy, vince	Individual	Position only
FWA	Reed, Dytonialobbyist	BGE	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Cook, Chuck	Department of Housing and Community Development	Written (PDF)
FWA	Anthony, Hadley	Department of the Environment	Oral
FWA	Pavlak, Alex	Future of Energy Initiative	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Knapp, Les	Maryland Department of the Environment	Written (PDF)
FWA	Fahrig, Landon	Maryland Energy Administration	Written (PDF)
INFO	O'Keeffe, Kevinlobbyist	Law Office of Kevin O'Keeffe	Written (PDF)
INFO	Westervelt, Patricia	Maryland Department of Transportation	Written (PDF)
INFO	Collins, Carvillelobbyist	Maryland Employers for Civil Justice Reform Coalition	Written (PDF)
INFO	Geraldo, Manuellobbyist	Washington Gas	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

ABC Chesapeake ShoresUNF 1

Baltimore-DC Building Building TradesFAV 1

BGEFWA 1

Building Decarbonization CoalitionFAV 1

CASAFAV 1

City of Takoma ParkFAV 1

Climate Coalition Montgomery CountyFAV 1

Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Climate Law & Policy ProjectFAV 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCAFAV 1

Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentFWA 1

Department of the EnvironmentFWA 1

Elders Climate Action MarylandFAV 1

Future of Energy InitiativeFWA 1

Green & Healthy Homes InitiativeFAV 1

IBEW Local 24FAV 1

IBEW Local Union 410FAV 1

Indivisible HoCo MarylandFAV 1

Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa)FAV 1

Law Office of Kevin O'KeeffeINFO 1

Maryland Department of the EnvironmentFWA 1

Maryland Department of TransportationINFO 1

Maryland Employers for Civil Justice Reform CoalitionINFO 1

Maryland Energy AdministrationFWA 1

Maryland Geothermal AssociationFAV 1

Maryland League of Conservation VotersFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland PIRGFAV 1

Maryland Public Service CommissionFAV 1

Maryland PublicService CommissionFAV 1

Maryland SenateFAV 1

Maryland State & DC AFL-CIOFAV 1

Montgomery County Department of Environmental ProtectionFAV 1

Nature ForwardFAV 1

Office of People's CounselFAV 1

Rewiring AmericaFAV 1

SELFFAV 1

Sierra Club Maryland ChapterFAV 1

UA Local 486/Maryland State and DC AFL-CIOFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

UULM-MDFAV 1

Washington GasINFO 1

www.HoCoClimateAction.orgFAV 1

YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVTerwilliger, BrianIBEW Local Union 410Registered for: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 410

FAVHarbeson, KristenMaryland League of Conservation VotersRegistered for: Maryland League of Conservation Voters

FAVScarr, EmilyMaryland PIRGRegistered for: Maryland PIRG Citizen Lobby

FAVGuitarra, DenisseNature ForwardRegistered for: Nature Forward

FAVShriner, MariahSierra Club Maryland ChapterRegistered for:

FAVEgan, AshleyUULM-MDRegistered for: UULM-MD

UNFKraska, MartinABC Chesapeake ShoresRegistered for: Maryland Catholic Conference; ABC Chesapeake Shores

FWAReed, DytoniaBGERegistered for: Baltimore Gas and Electric Company

INFOO'Keeffe, KevinLaw Office of Kevin O'KeeffeRegistered for: Eva Group LLC; IEC Chesapeake; PepsiCo; W.W. Grainger, Inc.…

INFOCollins, CarvilleMaryland Employers for Civil Justice Reform CoalitionRegistered for: Artesian Resources Corporation; Columbia Gas of Maryland; Maryland Employers for Civil Justice Reform Coalition; Pepco Holdings, LLC.; Health Facilities Association of Maryland; General Motors LLC…

INFOGeraldo, ManuelWashington GasRegistered for: Washington Gas Light