Energy & Environment

Maryland's Energy Crisis Was Created In Annapolis

This week, Wes Moore blamed grid operators for high electricity costs, but the problem has worsened because of his own policies

Tosin Akintola | 5.15.2026 4:35 PM

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(Illustration Credit: Maryland Public Service Commission/Kim Hairston/TNS/Newscom/Thomas Fuller/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom)

PJM Interconnection, the largest electricity grid operator in the nation, held its annual company meeting in Baltimore earlier this week. For Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, the event was an opportunity to voice grievances about rising energy costs. 

"I am here to say plainly that PJM can—and must—do more for ratepayers," Moore said, adding that PJM's system "isn't working." Moore's comments come as the price of residential electricity in the state has reached 22.4 cents per kilowatt-hour. This is 24 percent higher than the national average and 6.4 percent more than last year. 

Maryland is not alone. Across the country, residential electricity prices rose by 7.4 percent from February 2025 to February 2026, the most recent month for which federal data are available. While data centers have become an easy scapegoat for rising wholesale prices, there are a range of factors behind these price hikes, including upgrades to aging grids, fluctuating natural gas prices, supply chain constraints, and growing demand that has simply outpaced supply.

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