4992

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

increase the financial resources which remain within the
State to support jobs and economic activity within Maryland
economy; and

(3) Reducing the State's consumption of energy
can lessen the adverse economic impacts on its citizens
caused by rising energy prices, can reduce the consumption
of depletable resources which have other beneficial uses,
and can reduce environmental impacts from the utilization of
energy sources; and

WHEREAS, The Maryland Energy Office has estimated that
a total of 1,301,868 utility customers are eligible for
energy audits during the five year program and that 85
percent of customers who have audits will upgrade their
weatherization based on these audits; and

WHEREAS, Less than one-half of 1 percent of the
eligible customers in Maryland have received audits in 1981
which is less than 20 percent of the national average; and

WHEREAS, Maryland is significantly below the stated
goals of the Maryland Energy Office and the national goals
and success rates of other States' programs; and

WHEREAS, Residential Conservation Service Plans adopted
by Maryland utilities have been criticized for not including
adequate promotion strategies, not utilizing community based
organizations and businesses for outreach, having no special
means for reaching low income, elderly or rental customers
and having inadequate plans for audit follow-up rendering
the programs cost ineffective; and

WHEREAS, The full benefits of an aggressively promoted
and implemented RCS program of residential energy
conservation and lower utility costs to consumers are not
being realized in Maryland; and

WHEREAS, The Maryland General Assembly recognizes the
importance of the full implementation of the Residential
Conservation Service in Maryland and that relatively
inexpensive conservation measures can reduce energy
consumption by between 30 and 50 percent in an unweatherized
home; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
Public Service Commission and the Maryland Energy
Administration are requested (1) to conduct a thorough
review, including public hearings, of the implementation by
public utilities of the Residential Conservation Service
Plan and specifically make findings as to the effectiveness,
of the individual utilities implementation of the
Residential Conservation Service Plan, including energy
audits; (2) to require EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF REQUIRING
implementation that includes effective marketing and