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Excerpts from the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) Order:

{***} “In this Order, the Commission addresses certain issues raised in the Staff Report and responses by participating stakeholders. First, Staff recommends (and notes a general consensus) that the Commission require utilities to file the trailing 12-month average rates in PC 64 by the 5th business day of the month, including that month itself as the 12th month. As an example, the utilities shall file by the 5th day of April 2025 and include the average residential standard offer service (“SOS”) and Default Gas rates for April in their calculations. The Commission adopts Staff’s recommendation and directs that the utilities shall comply with this decision beginning in April 2025.

Second, The Potomac Edison Company (“Potomac Edison”) requests that the Commission exempt it from the monthly filing requirement. The Company states that its SOS rates change three times a year and therefore desires the Commission to allow it to file in alignment with its rate adjustment calendar–December, May and September. The Commission denies Potomac Edison’s request. All utilities shall comply with the monthly filing requirements contained in this Order.

Third, Staff addresses the issue of the date upon which the utilities should post trailing 12-month averages on their website. Currently, the utilities file the 12-month trailing averages with the Commission (now on the 5th of the month). However, there is a benefit to posting the same trailing 12-month averages on the utilities’ websites on a date certain after filing with the Commission. The Commission therefore directs the utilities to post their trailing 12-month average SOS and Default Gas prices on their website within one business day of filing with the Commission.

Fourth, most suppliers, Staff and OPC recommend the trailing 12-month averages posted each month apply to all contracts entered the following month. The Commission agrees with this recommendation, which will apply to SMECO and WGL Energy despite their preference for individually tailored exceptions.4 The Commission thereby directs that 12-month trailing data shall apply to all supply contracts entered into during the following full month. For example, the data posted on the 5th of April shall govern all supply contracts entered into for the entire month of May. Fifth, the Commission directs that utilities shall include in their monthly filing with the Commission the dates for which the 12-month average price shall apply. The utilities shall list, beside or under the rate: “This rate is applicable to retail/customer choice contracts entered into on the following dates: x/1/2025 through x/31/2025.”

Sixth, the suppliers contend that they are not legally obliged to list the specific rates on customer bills, except for the initial contract terms, and that they may renew contracts at rates in excess of the trailing 12-month price cap. Staff recommends that suppliers include all rates, including variable rates, on customer contracts. The Commission agrees with Staff’s recommendations and directs the suppliers to include each component of the bill, including seasonal rate adjustments, on customer contracts. Staff also recommends that the Commission require residential contracts to renew at a rate that does not exceed the trailing 12-month average price caps. The Commission agrees with Staff’s recommendations and directs suppliers to renew contracts at rates not exceeding the trailing 12-month average, as of the date of the renewed contract.

Seventh, although the utilities have complied with Order No. 91237 since October 2024, the Commission believes the utilities, suppliers and the public interest would be best served by having a standardized presentation of data on the utilities’ websites. The Commission therefore directs that the utilities’ trailing 12-month average prices for any given month be calculated and highlighted on each respective utility’s website. The data for a particular month should be a single line item describing the rate as a whole, showing the derivation, and updated monthly. After reviewing the current presentation of data on the various utility websites, the Commission is partial to Baltimore Gas and Electric Company’s (“BGE”) template and directs the utilities to follow BGE’s data presentation of their historical monthly rates and their latest calculated trailing 12-month average rate5.” {***}

Order (03/13/2025) (Order 91562)
(Order On Staff’s Recommendations Regarding Implementation Of The Residential Retail Supply Price Caps)
PC64
(Implementation of Price Caps for Residential Electric and Gas Retail Supply.  – Senate Bill 1: Residential 12-Month Trailing Retail Supply Price Caps)