Maryland Public Service Commission hosting conference on COVID-19 impacts on utilities

The Maryland Public Service Commission is hosting a conference to gauge the impact that COVID-19 has had on utility operations, consumer protections, service reliability, and financial health.

The conference, which will be held Aug. 27 and 28, will feature commentary from electric and gas utilities in the state on the impacts of stay-at-home orders and the prohibition on shutoffs have had on energy usage, utility operations, reliability, and revenue. They will also discuss the policies and procedures the utilities have developed to handle the increasing numbers of customers who are unable to pay utility bills and may face disconnection of service when the moratorium is lifted.

Gov. Larry Hogan issued an Executive Order on March 16, prohibiting the termination of residential utility services and the imposition of late fees during the COVID-19 state of emergency. This prohibition is set to expire on August 1. Also, the speakers will discuss the impacts on utility energy efficiency programs, pilot programs, and other initiatives that provide benefits to customers.

The commission will be seeking input on regulatory actions it should consider to mitigate and monitor the effects of COVID-19 on Maryland utilities and ratepayers. It had previously asked utilities to track incremental costs related to COVID-19.