Back to Priorities
Lower Bills. Local Control. Real Accountability.
Baltimore County families are paying higher energy bills not because they use more power, but because the system increasingly allows private and regional interests to shift their costs onto households. Unchecked data center growth, expensive transmission proposals, and a lack of local control are driving up costs while families bear the risk. Julian's plan changes that.
1. Stop Residents From Subsidizing Private Energy Demand and Impose Strong Guardrails on Data Centers and Large Loads
Large energy users — especially data centers — are driving massive new electricity demand across the regional grid while spreading the cost of new generation and transmission across everyone's bills. Baltimore County households are being asked to subsidize private profit and out-of-state growth, often through proposals that move forward with limited transparency, restrictive non-disclosure agreements, and minimal accountability to surrounding communities.
As County Executive, Julian will:
- Make large users pay their way. Condition approvals on a cost-causer-pays framework so data centers and other large-load users bear the full cost of the generation and grid upgrades they trigger — so families are never left holding the bag.
- Protect neighborhoods from harm. End by-right approvals for data centers, require meaningful buffer zones from residential communities, and deny tax breaks or incentives unless projects fully neutralize their impact on household bills and the local grid.
- Guarantee enforceable community benefits. Require Community Benefits Agreements before approval — tied directly to permits and incentives — delivering concrete benefits like utility-bill offsets, workforce training, local hiring, and neighborhood infrastructure investment.
- End secrecy and backroom deals. Prohibit non-disclosure agreements, require public disclosure of energy, water, noise, emissions, and reliability impacts, and end by-right approvals for data centers.
2. Raise the Bar Dramatically on New Transmission Projects, Including MPRP-Scale Proposals
Large transmission projects are increasingly treated as inevitable, even when driven by speculative or out-of-state demand rather than clear local need. These projects can lock families into decades of higher delivery charges while delivering unclear reliability benefits to Baltimore County. Transmission should not be a blank check — or the default solution when lower-cost, faster local options exist.
As County Executive, Julian will:
- Stop needless transmission projects. Oppose transmission projects unless they clearly meet a high bar of necessity, cost-effectiveness, and direct local benefit to Baltimore County residents.
- Demand accountability before approval. Require clear answers to who caused the demand, who benefits from the project, and who ultimately pays on their monthly bills — before any support is considered.
- Put cheaper alternatives first. Insist that local generation, storage, demand response, microgrids, and grid-enhancing technologies are fully evaluated and exhausted before any new transmission is approved.
3. Build Local Generation, Storage, and Microgrids to Lower Bills and Strengthen Reliability
Baltimore County's heavy reliance on a volatile regional power market leaves families exposed to price spikes and outages they cannot control. Local generation and microgrids keep power closer to where it is used, reduce strain on the regional grid, and ensure essential services stay online during emergencies.
As County Executive, Julian will:
- Build district-scale microgrids. Develop microgrids that connect clusters of public facilities and surrounding community assets to shared solar and storage systems, allowing them to operate as coordinated local power networks and reduce reliance on long-distance transmission.
- Power public facilities locally. Install solar and battery storage at county schools, libraries, recreation centers, and administrative buildings to reduce peak demand, lower long-term energy costs, and strengthen public infrastructure.
- Create neighborhood resilience hubs. Deploy community battery storage and establish resilience hubs in high-outage areas so residents have safe, powered locations during emergencies and extreme weather.
- Expand community solar access countywide. Ensure every councilmanic district hosts or has access to at least one community solar project, with priority enrollment and meaningful bill savings for local subscribers.
4. Restore Local Control Through Community Choice Aggregation
Families currently have little say over how their electricity is purchased or priced, leaving them exposed to regional price volatility with few protections. Decisions made far outside the County can have direct impacts on household bills. Community Choice Aggregation gives local governments the ability to act on behalf of residents and prioritize affordability and stability.
As County Executive, Julian will:
- Stabilize rates for families. Pursue Community Choice Aggregation so Baltimore County can pool purchasing power and hedge against regional price spikes.
- Support local energy solutions. Use CCA to prioritize local and clean generation — including microgrids and distributed energy — while keeping affordability and reliability front and center.
- Protect consumers and choice. Design a Baltimore County CCA model with strong consumer protections and clear opt-out rights, informed by lessons from Montgomery County and other jurisdictions.
5. Cut Bills Faster by Unlocking Energy Efficiency Countywide
The fastest and cheapest way to lower energy bills is to reduce wasted energy — yet many families, especially seniors, renters, and low-income households, are stuck in inefficient buildings they cannot afford to upgrade. Energy efficiency lowers bills immediately, reduces strain on the grid, and protects families from future rate increases.
As County Executive, Julian will:
- Lower bills where need is greatest. Expand weatherization and insulation for older homes and households facing the highest energy burdens.
- Make upgrades affordable. Use bulk-purchasing programs to lower the cost of heat pumps, electrical panel upgrades, smart thermostats, and insulation.
- Protect renters from high bills. Enforce basic rental efficiency standards so renters are not forced to pay more because of inefficient buildings they do not control.
A Record of Action on Energy
Julian has already led the fight to give Baltimore County the tools to lower energy costs. He has proposed legislation to give the County the authority to negotiate electricity rates on behalf of residents and businesses through Community Choice Aggregation — and his energy plan also includes producing more of our own energy through alternatives like solar facilities. As County Executive, Julian will turn these proposals into a real, county-wide affordability strategy.