A new law in Maryland scheduled to take effect on January 1st will require state utility companies to purchase more electricity generated from solar energy resources sooner than originally scheduled.

Customers will at first pay a bit more each month on their utility bills. Homeowners can expect to see a 5 cent per month increase. Bigger consumers of power, meanwhile, will see an increase of about 66 cents each month.

The law will also help create jobs within the state. After all, more solar power to the utility companies means more solar facilities in the state. And those facilities will need workers in order to function smoothly.

The added solar energy to the state’s utility grid will also help lay the foundation for a cleaner energy future, as electricity consumption is growing in Maryland at 2.7 percent each year — 25 percent higher than the national average. Of the 50 states, Maryland ranks 41st in total energy consumption per capita and 30th in the average annual increase in total energy consumption.

Because of the new law, Maryland’s timetable for meeting its renewable energy standard will be moved up. In April 2008, Maryland required 20 percent of its total electricity to come from renewable sources by 2022, with two percent of that amount coming from solar energy sources.