FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Salisbury, MD – September 9, 2026)– Maryland LCV is glad to see Shore representatives are responding to what ratepayers already know: the cost of energy is rising, and the time to act is now.

The Wicomico County Energy Solutions Summit aims to address energy affordability, reliability, and the Shore’s long-term energy future, hopefully allowing residents to enjoy the quality of life they’ve come to expect.

“Clean energy solutions are the fastest and most cost-effective way to deploy remedies to the increased challenges Wicomico County ratepayers face,” Brian Gilliland, Maryland LCV Clean Energy Organizer for the Eastern Shore, said. “Both wind and solar power are important pieces of our future energy mix, and the time to incorporate them into the ongoing affordability crisis is now.”

Maryland LCV encourages the panel to take the opportunity to talk about solutions like the fully permitted 1.7 gigawatt wind farm proposed off the local coast, a development with the ability to produce safe, reliable, clean power for nearly 600,000 Maryland homes.

Wicomico County residents could also be enjoying returns like those offered by Revolution Wind, which began delivering power to New England in March 2026 and is already on track to save customers $500 million per year in wholesale energy costs.

“The Eastern Shore has wealth in wind,” Gilliland said. “Today, 75% of Marylanders support offshore wind, which belongs as another feather in the shore’s cap, allowing the region to reap the benefits of being a hub for both energy generation and tourism.”

According to the Public Service Commission, community solar programs throughout the state have added more than 200 megawatts to the grid for renters, low- to moderate-income residents, teachers, first responders, and more since the first pilot program launched in 2015. Continued build-out of community solar projects can further ease residents’ energy cost burden. A new solar energy option for Wicomico County residents after the most recent legislative session is plug-in or balcony solar.

“Solar energy arrays make sense for companies and institutions like Perdue, WBOC and Salisbury University, but they can also help reduce energy costs for individuals and community groups as well,” Gilliland continued. “If any representative on the panel today, individual or group in attendance, or anyone else on the shore would like to learn more, please contact me directly at bgilliland@mdlcv.org, or visit our organization’s websites at www.mdlcv.org and www.marylandconservation.org.”

Maryland LCV applauds Wicomico County leaders for facilitating the conversation on Maryland’s long-term energy future.

###

Media Contact

Shawn Drury, Director of Communications
571.259.3501
sdrury@mdlcv.org

About Maryland LCV

The Maryland League of Conservation Voters (Maryland LCV), a 501(c)(4) organization that engages in politics, works independently but alongside the Maryland LCV Education Fund, a non-partisan 501(c)3 organization. Together, the organizations envision a healthy environment for everyone in Maryland. Both organizations are part of the national Conservation Voter Movement, a network that collaborates with national LCV and operates in over thirty states across the country.