Maryland Sets July 30 Hearing on Four Energy-Storage Proposals Totaling 1,240 MW

Summary: Maryland’s Public Service Commission will hold a virtual public-comment hearing on July 30, 2026, for four transmission-connected energy-storage proposals in Case No. 9866. The projects represent 1,240 MW of nameplate capacity in total, but the proceeding is about possible Energy Storage Capacity Credits (ESCCs), not final construction approval. People who want to speak should register by noon on July 27; written comments are due by close of business on July 31.

What happened

The Commission’s July 21 announcement and July 17 hearing agenda set out the next public step in the Round 1 review under Maryland’s Next Generation Energy Act. The virtual hearing begins at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, 2026. It is designed to gather public input and provide short overviews of the remaining proposals.

The Commission says it will determine whether to award ESCCs to Round 1 applicants. The credits are intended to provide a more stable revenue stream that can help large storage projects manage uncertainty in future PJM capacity-market prices. An ESCC award would not by itself authorize construction. The agenda says projects receiving credits would still need to seek construction approval, with later hearings on matters including safety, siting, and environmental impacts.

The four proposals on the hearing agenda

The public agenda identifies four remaining applicants. Their listed capacities add up to 1,240 MW, calculated from the Commission’s project figures. The list below describes proposals, not approved facilities.

• Oystercatcher Energy Storage Project: Cardinal Energy Storage East, LLC; Harford County near the BGE Conastone Substation; lithium-ion; 500 MW; six-hour duration.
• Fourth Quarter BESS Project: RWE Supply & Trading Americas, LLC; Montgomery County; lithium iron phosphate; 300 MW; four-hour duration; interconnecting utility listed as Pepco.
• Chalk Point Storage Project: Chalk Point Reliability Storage LLC; Prince George’s County; lithium iron phosphate; 400 MW; four-hour duration; interconnecting utility listed as Pepco.
• Jade Meadow III Battery Storage Project: Jade Meadow III LLC; Garrett County; lithium-ion; 40 MW; four-hour duration; interconnecting utility listed as FirstEnergy/Potomac Edison.

The docket shows that Round 1 initially included a Pulaski Energy Storage application. Pulaski filed a request to withdraw on July 2, 2026, and the Commission’s public announcement describes the four projects above as the remaining applicants. The docket also shows a public Round 1 Evaluation Report and subsequent testimony and procedural filings; the docket is the best place to check for later filings rather than assuming the hearing agenda is the final record.

Why it matters

The Commission’s public notice says Maryland’s law calls for at least two solicitations for a cumulative 1,600 MW of front-of-the-meter, transmission-connected storage projects. The same notice says successful Round 1 applicants must be decided by October 1, 2026, with Round 2 decisions due by October 1, 2027. Those milestones describe a procurement and regulatory schedule; they do not guarantee that every proposed megawatt will be selected, built, or placed in service.

For grid readers, the important distinction is between a financial or capacity-credit decision and a construction decision. A credit can affect how a project’s future revenue is evaluated, while construction approval would address a different set of project-specific questions. The Commission’s agenda explicitly says additional public hearings will be needed for non-financial aspects of awarded projects.

The proceeding also gives Maryland residents a concrete way to follow how utility-connected storage is evaluated. The public evaluation materials discuss applicant characteristics, development risk, safety plans, financing, stakeholder engagement, climate resilience, local economic benefits, and system benefits. Those criteria are not a promise that any project will receive an award; they are part of the review record.

Who is affected

The direct participants are the applicants, the Commission, its staff and consultant, utilities, intervenors, and other parties in Case No. 9866. Residents near the listed project locations may have a particular interest in the later siting, environmental, and safety proceedings if a project advances.

Other Maryland ratepayers and energy readers may want to track the proceeding because the Commission is evaluating projects in the context of capacity needs, transmission-connected storage, and ratepayer interests. The public materials do not establish a household bill change from this hearing, so this article does not predict one.

How to participate

1. To speak at the virtual hearing: email Kimberly Schock at kimberly.schock@maryland.gov by 12:00 noon on Monday, July 27, 2026. The Commission’s agenda provides the participation deadline and hearing details.
2. To submit written comments: use the Commission’s online public-comment portal or mail comments to the address in the Commission’s notice. Written comments should reference Case No. 9866 and are due by close of business on Friday, July 31, 2026.
3. To review the record: start with the Case No. 9866 docket, then compare the hearing agenda and the public evaluation report with later filings. The docket can change as new documents are posted.

What to watch next

• Whether the Commission changes the July 30 hearing arrangements or posts additional instructions before the participation deadline.
• Public comments and any later Commission filings in Case No. 9866.
• The Commission’s Round 1 decision schedule, including the October 1, 2026 deadline described in its public notice.
• Whether any project that receives ESCCs later enters the separate construction-approval process and what project-specific safety, siting, and environmental records say.

Related NerdVolt links

• Energy Storage for Commercial Buildings — a practical overview of load management, demand charges, and resilience value.
• Renewable Energy Storage Technologies — technology uses and limitations across storage types.
• Home Solar Microgrid Guide — explains the difference between grid-connected equipment and backup operation.
• More NerdVolt news explainers — current policy, grid, and clean-energy developments.

Sources

• Maryland Public Service Commission announcement, July 21, 2026 — hearing purpose, deadlines, applicants, and NGEA context.
• PSC Notice of Hearing Agenda, July 17, 2026, Case No. 9866 — hearing schedule, project figures, ESCC explanation, and the distinction from construction approval.
• PSC Case No. 9866 docket — current public filing list, including the July 2 withdrawal request and July 24 testimony filing.
• Public Round 1 Evaluation Report prepared for the Maryland PSC — evaluation framework and public project review materials linked from the Commission’s announcement.

Educational note: this article summarizes a public regulatory proceeding and is not legal, tax, electrical, engineering, permitting, investment, warranty, installation, or safety advice.