Maryland’s first storage procurement round falls 360 MW short

Maryland regulators have picked two big battery storage projects for the state's first round of a new program meant to keep electricity prices stable. Flatiron Energy's 400 MW Chalk Point project, planned at a former coal power plant site in Prince George's County, and REV Renewables' 40 MW Jade Meadow III project, part of a solar development on reclaimed coal mine land in Garrett County, both won conditional 15-year awards. The commission says the combined cost works out to about 7 cents a month for a typical residential customer.

The state had hoped to line up 800 megawatts of storage in this round but came up 360 MW short. Two other developers dropped out, and a third large project was passed over because of its cost to ratepayers and lower ranking. A proposal to expand Chalk Point further missed the deadline but can be resubmitted in the next round, which must open by January 2027.

The program exists because wholesale electricity capacity prices in the regional grid have risen sharply, including in Maryland's own pricing zone. State regulators see four-hour battery storage as a way to lock in more predictable costs rather than leave customers exposed to that volatility. Both approved projects still need further state approval, including hearings on safety and environmental impact, before construction can begin. For homeowners, the practical effect for now is a small, fixed addition to monthly bills in exchange for the state betting that more battery storage will help hold down future price spikes.