Ch. 177

LAWS OF MARYLAND

collections shall accrue to the Fund. The Department shall credit
against the amount required to be paid into the Environmental
Trust Fund by each electric company an amount equal to 1 1/2% of
the total surcharge attributed to each company on the basis of
the electricity generated within Maryland.

Article 78 - Public Service Commission Law

54B.

(c) (1) The Public Service Commission shall impose an
environmental surcharge per kilowatt hour of electric energy
generated within Maryland and -shall authorize the electric
companies to add the full amount of the surcharge to customers'
bills. To the extent that the surcharge is not collected from
customers, the surcharge shall be deemed a cost of generation and
shall be allowed and computed as such, together with other
allowable expenses, for rate-making purposes. Revenues from the
surcharge shall be collected by the Comptroller and placed into
the special fund known as the Environmental Trust Fund. The
Secretary of Natural Resources annually shall coordinate the
preparation of a budget required to carry out the provisions of
the power plant siting and research program, as set forth in the
Natural Resources Article. Upon approval of the budget by the
General Assembly, the Public Service Commission shall establish
the amount of the surcharge per kilowatt hour for the fiscal year
beginning July 1, 1972, and for each subsequent fiscal year.

(2)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this
subtitle, the amount of the surcharge for each account [in fiscal
years 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990] may not exceed the lesser of
0.15 mill per kilowatt hour or $1,000 per month and the surcharge
may not continue beyond fiscal year [1990] 1995.

(3)  The Comptroller shall maintain the method of
collection of the surcharge from the companies and the
collections shall accrue to the Fund. The Department shall
credit against the amount required to be paid into the
Environmental Trust Fund by each electric company an amount equal
to 1 1/2% of the total surcharge attributed to each company on
the basis of the electricity generated within Maryland.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect July 1, 1988.

Approved May 2, 1988.

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