* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Stokes
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
title
Informational Hearing - Creation of a 'Baltimore City Electric Choice Website'
FOR the purpose of inviting representatives from the Department of General Services, the Mayor's Office of Information Technology, the Maryland Energy Administration, the Maryland Public Service Commission, and the Office of the Maryland People's Counsel to appear before the Council to discuss the feasibility of developing a 'Baltimore City Electric Choice Website' and the formation of a work group to consider the further development of mechanisms to advance true competition in Baltimore City's residential and small commercial mass electricity market.
body
Recitals
The deregulation of the consumer energy market, combined with a proliferation of government and private programs to reduce bills and aid low income residents, means that today consumers have more options to optimize their electric bills than ever before. Different suppliers and programs offer a wide variety of rates, payment plans, contract lengths, and energy sources.
With all of these options available, every family and small business should be able to customize their power supply in a way that best meets their needs. However, the sheer variety of options - each with different geographical limits, income requirements, or special conditions listed in fine print scattered across a multitude of brochures and websites - can leave many customers uncertain about which they are eligible for or which would truly work best for them.
In order to be effective a competitive electric services market requires that timely, accurate, and adequate information about the products and services offered be readily available to all residential and small commercial consumers. Baltimore's electric customers could benefit from more and better education about their options, and a more customer-friendly means of switching to alternative supply. All City residents deserve a local source for information that could help them make educated energy decisions.
Accordingly, the City should consider creating a 'Baltimore City Electric Choice Website' for its residents. This site would initially provide information, on a zip-code by zip-code level, about available energy suppliers and their rates; energy efficiency programs, including weatherization and rebate programs; distributed renewable energy policies and programs; low income utility assistance programs; and special offers available to local residents. The creation of a well maintained website with this information would stimulate awareness for all classes of energy consumers in Baltimore, as well as help to create sound City energy policy and maintain stable energy prices for consumers.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Council invites representatives from the Department of General Services, the Mayor's Office of Information Technology, the Maryland Energy Administration, the Maryland Public Service Commission, and the Office of the Maryland People's Counsel to appear before the Council to discuss the feasibility of developing a 'Baltimore City Electric Choice Website' and the formation of a work group to consider the further development of mechanisms to advance true competition in Baltimore City's residential and small commercial mass electricity market.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Director of General Services, the Chief Information Officer in the Mayor's Office of Information Technology, the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration, the Director of the Maryland Public Service Commission, the Maryland People's Counsel, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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