Lawmaker's bill would allow counties to purchase electricity

Frustrated by a surge in electricity rates that a deregulation law was expected to prevent, a Maryland lawmaker is proposing a bill that would allow counties to purchase electricity wholesale and resell it to their residents at rates lower than the local utility charges.

The sponsor of the legislation, Del. David D. Rudolph, D-Cecil, said that residents could save as much as 10 percent on their electricity bills if counties are allowed to negotiate the purchase of electricity at competitive rates. He said that the existing utilities, which many believe have a monopoly over the markets, don't have the incentive to secure lower...