Overview

Resources and Consumption

Maryland has few energy resources. Minor coal reserves are found in the Appalachian Mountains in western Maryland. Wind power potential is found in the Chesapeake Bay, off the Atlantic Coast, and in the Appalachian Mountains. The Susquehanna River in the north is a source of hydroelectric power. Maryland’s economy is not energy-intensive, and per capita energy consumption is low.

Petroleum

Maryland relies on petroleum product deliveries from other States and abroad. The Colonial Pipeline from the Gulf Coast region supplies Maryland markets as it passes through the State on the way to major Northeast population centers. The Port of Baltimore receives petroleum products delivered via the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland requires motor gasoline blended with ethanol across the center of the State, including the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.

Natural Gas

Maryland relies on interstate natural gas deliveries and imports from abroad to meet demand. Several major pipelines from the Gulf Coast region supply natural gas to Maryland markets. One of five existing U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facilities is located at Cove Point on the Chesapeake Bay’s western shore. The Cove Point terminal receives its LNG supply primarily from Trinidad and Tobago. Maryland’s residential and commercial sectors dominate State natural gas consumption. Nearly one-half of Maryland households use natural gas for home heating.

Coal, Electricity, and Renewables

Maryland’s coal-fired power plants typically supply more than one-half of the electricity generation within the State. Nuclear power typically supplies more than one-fourth of generation, and petroleum- and natural gas-fired plants supply much of the remainder. Although Maryland produces a small amount of coal in the West, most of the State’s coal-fired power plants burn coal shipped from West Virginia. The State’s only nuclear plant, the dual-unit Calvert Cliffs facility, supplies all of Maryland’s nuclear power. The Conowingo hydroelectric plant on the Susquehanna River, one of Maryland's largest generation facilities, provides almost all of the State’s hydroelectricity. Approximately one-third of Maryland households use electricity as their main source of energy for home heating.