Expo May Help With High Electric Bills

TIMONIUM, Md. (WJZ) -- Pain at the pump may be maxing out right now, but there's no let up in monthly bills for household energy use.

Alex DeMetrick reports that's got a lot of us looking for a cheaper way to keep the lights on.

The Solar and Wind Expo at the Timonium State Fairgrounds has the familiar and the not so usual, like a reimagined wind turbine.

"People are used to something bigger.  This is actually something that's friendly to our neighborhoods.  It's not real intrusive," said Mike Taylor.

And blending into the expo seemed like a good idea to Maryland's major energy players.

"The governor's doing an energy summit to figure out what are our challenges and how we can accelerate our progress to achieve them," said Malcolm Woolf, Maryland Energy Administration.

The key goals are to create more renewable energy sources from wind and solar and make the most of the electricity flowing now by using less of it.

"None of us likes paying our utility bills.  The way we can save money is to reduce consumption," Woolf said.

"The goals, in and of themselves, don't drive us forward.  It's the choices we make," said Governor Martin O'Malley.

Currently, large-scale choice is being orchestrated by BGE, which is moving customers to smart meters, which can control energy use during peak periods.

"We did that in our home a couple of years ago and it saved a ton of money," said Maria Broadbent.  "The first time they actually cycled our air conditioning, we didn't even notice it."

Maryland has set a goal where 20 percent of the state's energy needs will be met by renewable sources---like wind and solar---within 11 years.