SB 780

Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity - BURDEN Analysis (CHERISH Our Communities Act)

Sponsor: Benjamin Brooks (District 10)Committee: Education, Energy, and the EnvironmentSubject: Utility RegulationStatus: Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring that an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for certain generating stations located within a certain at-risk area to include with the application a baseline understanding of risk, disparities, and environmental needs (BURDEN) report describing and including information on certain environmental and public health burdens; altering the contents of a certain notice that must be provided on receipt of an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity; 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 (99)

MGA witness list

FAV 93FavorableFWA 1Favorable with amendmentsUNF 2UnfavorableINFO 3Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Bucic, Sarah	Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Brown, Jim	Audubon Mid-Atlantic	Written (PDF)
FAV	Krieger, Betsy	Be the Change Bmore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dunning, Bryan	Center for Progressive Reform	Written (PDF)
FAV	pool, walkiria	Centro de Apoyo Familiar	Oral
FAV	Stegman, Matt	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Baker, Brittanylobbyist	Chesapeake Climate Action Network	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gately, Ursula	Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ibarra, Gabriela	Chispa	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kunze, Jenniferlobbyist	Clean Water Action	Written (PDF)
FAV	Demiray, Sonia	Climate Communications Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	McGilvray, Laurie	Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilkinson, nanci	Climate Mobilization Montgomery County	Position only
FAV	Burke, Camille	Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schoppert Devereux, Christina	Community Law Center, Inc.	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hession, Melody	Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCA	Position only
FAV	Stewart, Frances	Elders Climate Action Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Aguilar, Jorgelobbyist	Food & Water Watch	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	N/A, Healthy Climate Maryland	Healthy Climate Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Smith, Virginia	IndivisibleHoCoMD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Novey, Joelle	Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Singer, Elizabeth	Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Howard County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hunter, Caseylobbyist	League of Women Voters of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Agarin, Ufuoma O.	Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Webster, Phil	Legislative body for the Unitarian Universalist faith, C/O Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis	Written (PDF)
FAV	Feighner, Liz	Liz Feighner, self	Position only
FAV	Tulkin, Joshlobbyist	MD Sierra Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Guilfoil, Mona	MD Third Act or Marylanders for Data Center Reform	Position only
FAV	Alvarez, Carlos	MDLCV	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cruz, Kobe	MDLCV	Written (PDF)
FAV	De Leon Cabrera, Casandra	MDLCV	Written (PDF)
FAV	Escobar, Cinthia	MDLCV	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lopez, Roberto	MDLCV	Written (PDF)
FAV	Manzanares, Jaylyn	MDLCV	Written (PDF)
FAV	Montufar, Nathaly	MDLCV	Written (PDF)
FAV	Simon, Robert	Maryland Catholics for Our Common Home	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bartock, Laura	Maryland Climate Partners	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rehr, Rebeccalobbyist	Maryland League of Conservation Voters	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bogdan, Henrylobbyist	Maryland Nonprofits	Position only
FAV	Brooks, Benjamin	Maryland State Senate	Written (PDF)
FAV	Laurens, Matthew	Matthew Laurens	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kinsey, Kathy	Mobilize Frederick	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hegarty, Dawn	Myself	Written (PDF)
FAV	Greene, Susan	Nabbs/Stoney Creek resident	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ostdahl, Maggielobbyist	National Aquarium	Written (PDF)
FAV	McCarthy, Angie	Nature Forward	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Aubourg, Matthew	On behalf of Johns Hopkins Environmental Health and Engineering Students and Postdocs	Written (PDF)
FAV	Duckett-Randolph, Neka	Out 4 Justice	Written (PDF)
FAV	Habib, Imanlobbyist	Progressive Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hunt, Kelly	Riviera Beach	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sliviak, Gregory	Rock Creek	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sliviak, Ruth	Rock Creek Neighborhood	Written (PDF)
FAV	Middleton, Michael	SB7 Coalition	Position only
FAV	Elaine, Arndt	SELF	Position only
FAV	Casteel, Rachel	Sentinels of Eastern Shore Health	Written (PDF)
FAV	Campbell, Shashawnda	South Baltimore Community Land Trust	Written (PDF)
FAV	Valdivia, Kathleen	St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church	Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 99

Organizations on record

Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE)FAV 1

Audubon Mid-AtlanticFAV 1

Be the Change BmoreFAV 1

CEEJH INCFWA 1

Center for Progressive ReformFAV 1

Centro de Apoyo FamiliarFAV 1

Chesapeake Bay FoundationFAV 1

Chesapeake Climate Action NetworkFAV 1

Chesapeake Physicians for Social ResponsibilityFAV 1

ChispaFAV 1

Clean Water ActionFAV 1

Climate Communications CoalitionFAV 1

Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Climate Mobilization Montgomery CountyFAV 1

Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable CommunitiesFAV 1

Community Law Center, Inc.FAV 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCAFAV 1

Elders Climate Action MarylandFAV 1

Food & Water WatchFAV 1

Healthy Climate MarylandFAV 1

IndivisibleHoCoMDFAV 1

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

Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Howard CountyFAV 1

League of Women Voters of MarylandFAV 1

Legislative Black Caucus of MarylandFAV 1

Legislative body for the Unitarian Universalist faith, C/O Unitarian Universalist Church of AnnapolisFAV 1

Liz Feighner, selfFAV 1

Maryland Asphalt AssociationUNF 1

Maryland Catholics for Our Common HomeFAV 1

Maryland Chamber of CommerceINFO 1

Maryland Climate PartnersFAV 1

Maryland Department of Natural ResourcesINFO 1

Maryland League of Conservation VotersFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland NonprofitsFAV 1

Maryland State SenateFAV 1

Matthew LaurensFAV 1

MD PSCINFO 1

MD Sierra ClubFAV 1

MD Third Act or Marylanders for Data Center ReformFAV 1

MDLCVFAV 7

Mobilize FrederickFAV 1

MTBMAUNF 1

MyselfFAV 1

Nabbs/Stoney Creek residentFAV 1

National AquariumFAV 1

Nature ForwardFAV 1

On behalf of Johns Hopkins Environmental Health and Engineering Students and PostdocsFAV 1

Out 4 JusticeFAV 1

Progressive MarylandFAV 1

Riviera BeachFAV 1

Rock CreekFAV 1

Rock Creek NeighborhoodFAV 1

SB7 CoalitionFAV 1

SELFFAV 1

Sentinels of Eastern Shore HealthFAV 1

South Baltimore Community Land TrustFAV 1

St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic ChurchFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVBaker, BrittanyChesapeake Climate Action NetworkRegistered for: Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund

FAVKunze, JenniferClean Water ActionRegistered for: Clean Water Action

FAVAguilar, JorgeFood & Water WatchRegistered for: Food & Water Watch

FAVHunter, CaseyLeague of Women Voters of MarylandRegistered for: League of Women Voters of Maryland

FAVTulkin, JoshMD Sierra ClubRegistered for: Sierra Club Maryland Chapter

FAVRehr, RebeccaMaryland League of Conservation VotersRegistered for: Maryland League of Conservation Voters

FAVBogdan, HenryMaryland NonprofitsRegistered for: Maryland Nonprofits

FAVOstdahl, MaggieNational AquariumRegistered for: National Aquarium

FAVHabib, ImanProgressive MarylandRegistered for: Progressive Maryland

FAVMiller, SusanRegistered for: Earthjustice

INFOAllen, HannahMaryland Chamber of CommerceRegistered for: Maryland Chamber of Commerce