As expected, after much study, the Public Service Commission is starting to weigh in on what to do about Maryland's electricity quandary. A couple big reports came out today, and more will come out later this month. The reports were posted on the PSC's Web site at 5:30. Some highlights:

The data the PSC has gathered, itself and through consultants, reveal convincingly that we do NOT have the luxury of waiting for the markets to address Maryland's reliability and pricing problems. Instead, the PSC recommends and plans to undertake a series of interventions designed to respond to these problems directly:

-- First, the PSC will, if necessary, force an increase in the available supply of electricity, both to ensure a reliable supply and to relieve some of the upward pressure on wholesale prices...

-- Second, the PSC will, as part of a pending proceeding, require the utilities to implement aggressive and cost-effective demand management and energy conservation programs, consistent with Gov. Martin O'Malley's EmPower Maryland initiative.

-- Third, the PSC will rule shortly on whether, and if so how, the process by which utilities purchase electricity... could be modified to achieve better and more stable prices for ratepayers.

-- Fourth, the PSC will continue to expand and elevate its presence as an advocate at FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] and PJM [PJM Interconnection -- the Mid-Atlantic regional grid] and in other forums on behalf of Maryland's energy future, reasonable rates and fairness in the wholesale electricity markets.