Dr. Sarah Mills told commissioners that decommissioning plans, financial sureties and enforceable agreements should be required at approval to reduce the risk that obsolete data-center sites become costly brownfields.

Flatiron Energy witnesses told the Public Service Commission that the ChalkPoint Reliability Storage project will reuse existing Chalk Point interconnection infrastructure, participate in PJM capacity auctions, and receive fixed ESCC payments intended to support development while refunding capacity revenues to Maryland ratepayers.

County staff heard an update July 14 that the Bluegrass Chemical Agent Pilot Plant closure is progressing with demolition and administrative closeout on a projected schedule; depot officials outlined new projects including a metal shipping facility, an energetics plant and centralized security monitoring.

HB 31 73 would allow orphaned oil and gas wells to be repurposed for geothermal energy and energy storage; sponsors said it’s a practical step to reuse infrastructure while questions centered on a 250‑degree geothermal threshold and surface owner protections.