Prince George's County TIEE Committee Meeting Summary for October 8, 2026

The Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy, and Environment (TIEE) Committee of the Prince George's County Council met on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 10:09 AM. Chair Thomas Dernoga presided, with Vice Chair Eric Olson and Council Members Timothy Adams, Sydney Harrison, and Danielle Hunter present. The meeting was adjourned at 12:24 PM. The agenda included a briefing on the WSSC Water FY 2028 preliminary proposed budget and action on two resolutions concerning energy infrastructure planning and climate action leadership.

Discussion Items

WSSC Water FY 2028 Preliminary Proposed Budget Briefing

• Presentation: WSSC Water General Manager/CEO Kishia Powell, along with CFO Munetsi Musara, Chief Engineer Alan Wong, and Director Priscilla To, presented the utility's preliminary budget. The presentation framed the budget around a refreshed vision across four pillars: workforce, infrastructure, innovation, and community trust.
• Budget Overview: The FY 2028 operating budget is primarily supported by rate revenue (93%). The capital improvement program (CIP) is proposed at $742.8 million for FY 2028 and $4.71 billion over six years. The utility is proposing a 7% rate enhancement as a base case, significantly lower than the 11.7% recommended by a cost-of-service study, in an effort to manage customer impact.
• Key Cost Drivers: The presentation highlighted significant cost pressures, including aging infrastructure, electrical system obsolescence at the Potomac Water Filtration Plant, rising personnel and healthcare costs, increased overtime and paving restoration costs due to a higher number of main breaks (planning for 2,300 in FY 2028 compared to a historical estimate of 1,800), and external factors like regional sewage disposal cost increases.
• Customer Assistance: WSSC highlighted its commitment to affordability, maintaining $10.64 million in customer assistance programs and noting that since 2023, $32 million in assistance has been provided to nearly 81,000 customers.
• Council Questions and Discussion: Council members raised questions about rate comparisons with other jurisdictions, the root causes of overtime costs, utility coordination with PEPCO on grid reliability, plans for data center water consumption, and opportunities for solar and bioenergy generation on WSSC property. Council Member Hunter requested better marketing of assistance programs for residents. Council Member Adams stressed the importance of protecting vulnerable and fixed-income residents. Council Member Dernoga requested a district-by-district breakdown of assistance program utilization. Discussion also centered on the recent Potomac Water Filtration Plant power outage and the urgent need for electrical system upgrades.

CR-098-2026: Energy Infrastructure Planning for Better Utility Bills

• Purpose: This resolution directs the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) to study the benefits and challenges of master planning for utility use and to provide a report to the county council with recommendations.
• Stakeholder Testimony (Maryland Clean Energy Center - MCEC): MCEC Executive Director Kathy Magruder, joined by Keith Wang, Ben Rupert, and Damian Trasada, expressed strong support for the resolution's objective of strategic energy planning. They provided an overview of their financing capabilities, including the Maryland Clean Energy Capital (MCAP) program, the Climate Catalytic Capital (C3) Fund, and the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program. MCEC offered to serve as a financing and technical assistance partner to the county. Council members requested MCEC pursue formal engagements with Bowie State University and Prince George's County government.
• Stakeholder Testimony (M-NCPPC Planning Department): Planning Department staff stated they are in strong support of an energy infrastructure master plan but expressed reservations about being named the lead agency for the study. They indicated they lack specific engineering and utility expertise, would require an outside consultant, and the work is not in their current approved work program, meaning it could not begin before the next fiscal year without displacing other commitments.
• Outcome: Council members noted the lack of a report date and misalignment of agency roles. A motion was made by Council Member Harrison, seconded by Council Member Hunter, to hold the resolution in committee until October 22, 2026, to allow time for the sponsor and stakeholders to amend the bill. The motion carried unanimously (5-0).

CR-101-2026: Climate Action Leadership and Engagement by All County Agencies

• Purpose: This resolution, sponsored by Council Member Ivey, mandates a unified, whole-of-government approach to climate change mitigation. It requires all county agencies to participate in the Interagency Climate Committee (ICC), adopt emission reduction targets into their core goals, and provide standardized biannual progress reports.
• Department of the Environment (DOE) Testimony: Deputy Director Coley, Christopher Akmabola, and Danielle Miller Wagner presented an update on the ICC, which has been meeting monthly since May 2025. They reported it has facilitated collaboration on tree planting, heat pumps, and grant applications. Regarding electric vehicle (EV) charging, they stated that while current county building chargers are primarily for the county fleet, plans are in place to expand public access, and an application for a $16.5 million state grant for community EV infrastructure is in progress.
• Amendments and Discussion: Council members raised a concern, prompted by a communication from a former Sierra Club member, that controversial but crucial elements of the county's Climate Action Plan, specifically related to land use and tree conservation, were being deprioritized in practice. An amendment was proposed to explicitly require these priority areas to be integrated into the ICC's work.
• Outcome: A motion was made by Chair Dernoga, seconded by Council Member Adams, to favorably recommend the resolution with the described amendments. The motion carried unanimously (5-0).

Key Outcomes

• WSSC Water Briefing: The briefing was received as part of the FY 2028 Spending Affordability Process. No formal vote was taken on the budget or proposed rate structure. The county council is scheduled to adopt resolutions on WSSC spending limits by the end of October.
• CR-098-2026 (Energy Infrastructure Planning): Held in Committee (5-0). Re-referred for amendments and further discussion at the October 22, 2026 meeting.
• CR-101-2026 (Climate Action Leadership): Favorably recommended to the full council with amendments (5-0). The amendments aim to ensure land use and tree conservation are prioritized in the work of the Interagency Climate Committee.
• Next Scheduled Meeting: October 22, 2026.