Maryland § 4-308

§ 4-308.

    (a)    On or before January 1, 2023, the Commission shall by regulation or order establish an administrative process to approve supply offers for electricity or gas for households in the State that receive energy assistance through a program administered by the Office of Home Energy Programs.

    (b)    (1)    Beginning July 1, 2023, unless the Commission has approved the supply offer in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, a third–party retail supplier may not offer to:

            (i)    provide electricity or gas to households in the State that have received energy assistance during the previous fiscal year;

            (ii)    renew a contract to provide electricity or gas to households in the State that are enrolled in an energy assistance program; or

            (iii)    charge a termination fee to households in the State that have received energy assistance during the previous fiscal year.

        (2)    An approved supply offer from a third–party retail supplier shall include a commitment, for the entirety of the term of the supply offer, to charging at or below the standard offer service rate or gas commodity rate for customers receiving energy assistance.

        (3)    If a third–party retail supplier’s offer is not approved by the Commission, the third–party retail supplier may not:

            (i)    receive funds from an energy program administered by the Office of Home Energy Programs; or

            (ii)    charge a customer receiving assistance from an energy program administered by the Office of Home Energy Programs.

    (c)    The Office of Home Energy Programs may allocate funding toward supplier charges as part of arrearage assistance for contracts that preceded a customer’s application for energy assistance from the Office of Home Energy Programs.

    (d)    (1)    On or before September 1 each year, the Commission shall publish a report on the Commission’s website that includes:

            (i)    the names and the total number of suppliers that applied for approval to sell to energy assistance households;

            (ii)    the names and the total number of suppliers that were approved under subsection (a) of this section;

            (iii)    the total number of suppliers that were rejected, if any;

            (iv)    the total number of energy assistance households that were signed up with a third–party supplier, as reported by the supplier;

            (v)    the total number of submitted supplier enrollments that were denied because the supplier was not approved to serve energy assistance households, as reported by the utility; and

            (vi)    the total number of self–identified energy assistance households that filed complaints about their third–party supplier.

        (2)    The Commission shall send a copy of the report to the Office of People’s Counsel, the Office of Home Energy Programs, and, subject to § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the Senate Finance Committee and the House Economic Matters Committee.