(2) The Department of Natural Resources shall credit against the
amount the Commission requires each electric company to pay into the
Environmental Trust Fund 1.5% of the total surcharge amount attributed to the
electric company on the basis of the amount of the electricity [generated]
DISTRIBUTED in the State.

(e) The surcharge imposed under this subtitle shall terminate on Juno 30,

[2000] 2005.
Article—Natural Resources

(a) There is an Environmental Trust Fund. For the purpose of this subtitle,
there is established as an added cost of [generation] ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTED TO
RETAIL ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS WITHIN THE STATE, an environmental surcharge per
kilowatt hour of electric energy [generated] DISTRIBUTED in the State to be paid by
any electric company as defined in § 1-101 of the Public Utility Companies Article,
[This surcharge initially shall be assessed at 0.1 mill per kilowatt hour as of January
1, 1972.] The Public Service Commission shall impose the surcharge per kilowatt
hour of electric energy [generated] DISTRIBUTED TO RETAIL ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS
within the State and shall authorize the electric companies to add the full amount of
the surcharge to RETAIL ELECTRIC customers' bills. To the extent that the surcharge
is not collected from RETAIL ELECTRIC customers, the surcharge shall be deemed a
cost of [generation] DISTRIBUTION 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 in the Fund.

(b) (1) The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Maryland
Energy Administration, annually shall coordinate the preparation of a budget
required to carry out the provisions of this subtitle. 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 FOR EACH RETAIL ELECTRIC CUSTOMER may not
exceed the lesser of 0.15 [mil] MILL per kilowatt hour or $1,000 per month and the
surcharge may not continue beyond Fiscal Year [2000] 2005.

(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]
DISTRIBUTED within Maryland.

(e) The Secretary shall administer the Fund. The Fund is subject to the
provisions for financial management and budgeting established by the Department of
Budget and Management. The moneys in the Fund shall be used to carry out the
provisions of this subtitle as provided for in the budget, except that 10% of all moneys