A five-year program by Maryland utilities to support electric vehicles lost far more money than it gained and should be mostly discontinued, according to an independent state agency.
The Maryland Office of People’s Counsel (OPC), which evaluates how utilities spend money on projects that residents pay for in their utility bills, issued a report earlier this month on a wide-ranging set of programs meant to increase the use of EVs and make the electric grid work better.
The programs resulted in “significant costs for utility customers without commensurate revenues,” the watchdog said. Five of Maryland’s largest utility companies spent $51 million of ratepayer funds on the programs but received revenues of only $6.4 million.
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC), which approved the programs, will hold a “legislative-style hearing” Thursday to examine the EV pilot programs and make plans for the future.
