AGP Executive Report

Food & Safety: USDA recalled 4,500+ pounds of imported Sempio Korean Ginseng chicken stew sold in eight states, including Maryland, after a missed reinspection; no illnesses reported. Aquaculture & Nutrition: USDA research says farmed Atlantic salmon now has less than half the omega-3s (DHA/EPA) compared with earlier federal assumptions, with Maryland samples included in the study. Defense Manufacturing: Northrop Grumman plans to quadruple U.S. semiconductor output by 2030 to supply radar, electronic warfare, communications, and satellite systems. Energy & Environment: Curtis Bay Energy agreed to stop incinerating medical waste under a state settlement, cutting operations sharply and paying $600,000 in penalties. Chesapeake Bay Pressure: Maryland fined a developer for repeated sediment runoff into a Gunpowder River tributary; separately, a soybean processor permit could allow up to 5x more PFAS-polluted discharge, sparking resident pushback. Rural Utilities: USDA awarded about $40M to bolster rural water and wastewater training, mapping, and technical support. Local Industry & Jobs: Prince George’s County and businesses are pressing for local hiring commitments tied to the proposed National Harbor Sphere. Logistics & Tradepoint: Trump is set to visit Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County, highlighting the site’s role in cargo and potential defense-tech expansion.

Key Bridge rebuild transparency: Maryland launched a public dashboard so drivers can track the Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement as work ramps up toward a 2030 opening, with monthly updates and project “source of truth” details. Utility regulation: The Maryland Public Service Commission scheduled three virtual hearings on BGE’s electric base rate case (Case No. 9888), with written comments due Dec. 23. Energy infrastructure: Eastern Shore Natural Gas filed with FERC for a ~$75M Delmarva pipeline capacity expansion, adding 15,800 dekatherms/day across Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Power policy fight: States and cities sued the Trump administration over EPA’s rollback of power-plant greenhouse gas limits, arguing the move guts major climate protections. Oysters and seafood economy: DNR released its 2021-2025 oyster management review, citing decade-high reproduction and progress across sanctuaries, public fishery areas and aquaculture. Local business hit: Guinness’ Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe is shutting down Nov. 1, leaving unanswered questions about the site’s next chapter. Tech + retail: Walmart rolled out “Shop to Light” digital shelf-tag LEDs to help shoppers find items via its app.

Nuclear & Data Centers: Amazon and Constellation struck a 20-year deal to expand Maryland’s Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant, backing $3B+ in upgrades and adding 190 MW between 2030 and 2032—aimed at powering the PJM region as AI and data center demand surges. Energy Regulation: Maryland’s PSC ended its multi-year rate plan pilot after finding goals largely unachieved and customer benefits unclear, while the state also moved to support grid flexibility and storage incentives. Housing & Construction: Gov. Wes Moore signed orders to speed up housing delivery by pushing cost-efficient building methods and creating a task force to cut permitting and licensing bottlenecks. Solar & Grid Flexibility: Maryland’s Next Generation Energy Act procurement conditionally awarded a battery storage project an energy storage capacity credit, as other states advance balcony/plug-in solar—though safety and standards lag. Cannabis Policy: Charles County approved a one-year moratorium on most cannabis growing zones, carving out personal cultivation rights under state law. Local Business & Jobs: Cozi Furniture expanded its Ashley Furniture selection for Maryland and the DMV; Dessert39 plans new Maryland stores after strong early U.S. sales. Workforce & Immigration: H-2B approvals continued across sectors, including manufacturing approvals tied to Maryland worksites.

Nuclear Power Deal: Constellation and Amazon struck a 20-year power purchase agreement to fund a major upgrade at Maryland’s Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant, adding about 190 MW and supporting another two decades of operation. Advanced Manufacturing: Goodfellow opened a new precision engineering center in Columbia, investing £1.5M (about $2M+) to expand micro-machining and advanced materials work, with up to 20 new jobs. Cybersecurity & Compliance: DigiFlight named Melody Berry to lead cybersecurity and CMMC readiness engagements, including C3PAO audit support and mock assessments for DoD-focused customers. Workforce Pipeline: RadNet partnered with WIN-NextGen to introduce Maryland-area students and young adults to radiology careers through mentorship, digital learning, and imaging-center shadowing. Food & Consumer Safety: FDA recall alerts flagged raw milk cheese tied to an E. coli investigation, plus peperoncini and cinnamon products pulled over contamination and lead concerns. Energy/Policy Watch: Maryland’s Oct. 1 law rollout includes consumer pricing protections, child care background checks, and MVA enforcement on out-of-state vehicle registration. Local Housing: Montgomery County backed office-to-housing conversions that hit the affordable-housing minimum, while estimating significant tax revenue foregone over 20-year deals.

Nuclear & Data Centers: Constellation and Amazon signed a 20-year power deal to fund about $3B in upgrades at Maryland’s Calvert Cliffs, adding ~190 MW of emissions-free capacity by 2030-2032 and supporting a 20-year relicensing push. Energy Costs & Consumer Impact: Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman is urging electric utilities to return more than $250M in sales-tax refunds to ratepayers after a state Supreme Court ruling. Workforce & Construction: Prince George’s County is weighing up to $215M in bonds for Sphere at National Harbor while labor terms remain a sticking point, with negotiations focused on project labor and union workforce requirements. Housing & Development: Homes for America opened 83 affordable units in North Baltimore’s Clare Court II, adding permanent supportive housing and new construction on a historic site. Food & Watermen: Maryland’s oyster season starts Oct. 1 amid weaker demand and lower wholesale shucked-meat volumes, with the state launching a “Game Day on the Half Shell” push to boost sales. Tech & Government Delivery: Maryland’s IT oversight is shifting from just launching major projects to tracking user outcomes through its Launchpad modernization process. Workplace Rights: Maryland’s “captive audience” employer meeting limits begin Oct. 1, banning mandatory political/religious meetings for employees and job applicants. Flood Risk & Courts: A Prince George’s County floodplain takings case goes to trial as a landowner challenges decades-old floodplain determinations.

Maryland Housing Pressure: A Pew Charitable Trusts report says about 21% of Maryland poverty is tied to above-average housing costs, with the state facing a major supply gap and urging faster building to cut rents. Data Centers & AI Governance: Gov. Wes Moore is pushing new quantum and data-center standards, including “Capital of Quantum” expansion with Paladin Capital and tighter accountability for data center growth. Energy & Courts: Big Oil is back at the U.S. Supreme Court as climate-change liability suits by state and local governments face a major test. Solar Policy Watch: States are approving balcony “plug-in” solar, but safety and standards still lag behind the fast-moving market. Maritime & Construction Dollars: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $25.7M contract for Ocean City beach restoration after a nor’easter, adding to the region’s storm-recovery workload. Consumer & Tech Risk: Maryland’s consumer protection beat includes a multistate data breach settlement and ongoing scrutiny of how tech handles user data and pricing. Local Business Spotlight: Cecil County’s MaNE Collective opened in North East, adding chair-rental salon services and plans for training partnerships.

Key Bridge rebuild: MDOT/MDTA hosted Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild boat tours Monday, letting officials and the public see pile driving and the overwater trestle as foundations for the cable-stayed span get underway—an economic lifeline for Baltimore and the state. Coastal construction: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $25.7M Ocean City beach renourishment contract, targeting about 982,000 cubic yards of sand from Weaver Shoal, with work expected late 2026/early 2027. Housing policy: New Maryland renter/landlord laws take effect Oct. 1, including changes to criminal-history screening, protections for tenants using income-based housing subsidies, rental payment reporting, and cooling requirements for certain apartments. Energy & utilities: Exelon’s BGE/Delmarva/Pepco plan to seek approval to return about $160M in tax refunds to Maryland customers after the state lost a court battle, with regulators deciding timing and allocation. AI & data governance: DHA is asking industry for input on hosting and integrating data for OBHAT/BHAS, while federal AI/personalized-pricing debates keep heating up nationwide. Local business support: Garrett County released its FY 2026 annual business development report, highlighting hundreds of business visits, dozens of ribbon cuttings, and small-business marketing grants. Environment & health: Columbia residents and scientists urged Maryland to deny W.R. Grace’s plastic recycling research permit, citing concerns about health and environmental impacts.

AI & Retail Pricing: Walmart CEO John Furner says the retailer won’t use AI to set personalized prices, pledging “we price the product, not the person,” and vowing not to use customer relationships to charge more. Maryland Consumer Protection: Maryland’s Oct. 1 law bars large food retailers and delivery services from using certain dynamic-pricing or consumer surveillance data to charge individuals higher prices, with required disclosures for algorithmic pricing. Data Centers & MD Real Estate: As Gov. Wes Moore’s data-center guardrails roll out, Maryland’s commercial real estate market is still trying to line up sites and deals amid moratoriums, bans, and new accountability expectations. Workforce & AI Outlook: A Moore administration survey of 276 Maryland AI decision-makers finds only 4% expect AI to eliminate jobs; most expect higher output or capacity without headcount cuts. Construction Safety: Maryland’s Job-Site Safety Institute and Comer Construction launch a pilot on Type II safety helmets to reduce traumatic brain injuries. Freight & Logistics: A Freight Distress Report flags job cuts and shutdowns affecting about 1,850 workers across 15 freight-related companies, including Maryland-linked operations. Energy & Affordability: Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman urges utilities to pass along a $250M refund to ratepayers via credits after a state court ruling. Local Water Infrastructure: Easton secures $2.62M in federal funding for a new drinking water well and pump house, aiming to keep bills stable for about 7,000 customers.

Data Centers & AI Policy: Maryland’s governor signed a responsible data center development framework, aiming to tighten standards and revisit tax incentives as local communities push back on the boom. Consumer Tech & Pricing: Walmart CEO John Furner says the retailer won’t use personal data to set prices, as regulators and advocates debate “personalized” or “surveillance” grocery pricing. Cyber & Privacy: A multistate settlement targets Labcorp after a 2019 breach, with stronger vendor security rules; meanwhile, watchdogs say IRS AI documentation is inconsistent. Food & Agriculture: USDA recalled 4,596 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken stew distributed across eight states over inspection concerns; Maryland Extension also rolled out a deer-damage playbook for farmers. Energy & Utilities: Easton Utilities won $2.6M in federal funding for a new drinking-water well and control building. Local Business & Growth: Barrio Burrito Bar expanded via a Nevada master franchise deal, adding 32 planned restaurants over two decades. Construction & Municipal Operations: Baltimore is using clearer polycarbonate boarding on vacant homes to reduce fire risk and improve upkeep.

Consumer Fraud Crackdown: Maryland AG Anthony G. Brown’s Securities Division says a Prince George’s County man, Stanley G. Richards, was permanently banned from the securities industry and hit with a $5.92M fine tied to the NovaTech pyramid scheme, which pitched crypto/forex trading returns to investors. AI & National Security: President Trump plans dinner with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei after a court setback upheld the Pentagon’s “supply chain risk” label for Claude models—keeping AI safety and defense procurement in the spotlight. Energy Grid Buildout: The U.S. Department of Energy announced $1.9B in SPARK grants to boost transmission capacity by reconductoring lines and adding grid upgrades across 26 states, aiming to cut congestion and help power the AI-driven demand surge. STEM Workforce Pipeline: Garrett County’s FIRST robotics team visited Kent County to help launch a new FRC team for 2027, expanding rural STEM opportunities. Maryland Business Banking: A bipartisan push would protect small business deposits, while separate coverage highlights how regulators and lawmakers are tightening rules around consumer finance and marketplace practices.

Coastal Resilience: Ocean City crews will inspect 10 miles of beach after a nor’easter surged flooding and forced Oceans Calling cancellations, with officials pointing to Army Corps beach replenishment plans as they assess erosion and dune repair. Energy & Grid: The U.S. Energy Department unveiled a near-$2B push to boost capacity on existing transmission lines nationwide, aimed at meeting rising demand tied to data centers, though Maryland wasn’t included in the first batch. Trade & Agriculture: Maryland’s trade hit from a U.S.-Canada tariff fight is getting sharper, with tractors and other farm equipment among the state’s key exports and retaliatory tariffs raising uncertainty for rural supply chains. NFL Field Ops (Local Angle): Ahead of the Ravens-Cowboys Brazil game at Maracana, NFL field leadership says turf work is complete after player-safety concerns over bumps and patchy grass. Food Safety: Maryland testing helped trigger a recall of Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning in six states due to elevated lead; consumers are urged to check lot codes and stop using affected jars. Workforce Visas: USCIS reported 3,272 H-2B worker approvals tied to Maryland worksites in fiscal 2026 through June 30, with a 99.8% approval rate.

Data Centers & State Policy: Maryland is tightening its data center approach, with Gov. Wes Moore signing a new executive order that sets guardrails and review standards while opponents push back on tax exemptions and moratoriums. Housing Costs & Local Taxes: A Maryland task force is weighing whether counties and municipalities should gain broader power to raise property-linked taxes and fees—housing groups warn it could price buyers out. Energy & Grid Pressure: A nor’easter is battering the East Coast, bringing coastal flooding, outages, and travel disruption that hits the DMV and beyond. Solar & Local Planning: A town is moving forward with a proposed Radio Lane solar farm, backed by potential Maryland Energy Administration grants. Public Safety & Infrastructure: Woodsboro began leak detection and found seven leaks, including three significant ones, with state coordination needed for work near Route 550. AI & Cyber Risk: OpenAI says its models’ agents interacted with multiple U.S. government websites in unexpected ways, prompting ongoing review and notifications. Food & Agriculture Tech: UMD researchers report a CRISPR-based test that can spot and distinguish three quarantine sugarcane viruses in one assay. Consumer/Health Compliance: Maryland AG Anthony Brown praised a ruling keeping the state’s Glock ban in effect while it heads toward a Jan. 1, 2027 start.

Maryland Cannabis Regulation: The Maryland Cannabis Administration is rolling out a multi-lab audit pilot to crack down on potency manipulation, cross-testing retail flower samples across four licensed labs and benchmarking results against the state’s reference facility. Health Insurance Costs: Maryland approved a 14.6% average premium increase for 2027 on ACA marketplace plans, compounding last year’s 13.4% hike for the roughly 274,000 enrollees on the Maryland Health Connection. Energy & Grid Reliability: The U.S. Army is exploring an advanced nuclear power project at Aberdeen Proving Ground, with Ameresco and Terrestrial Energy working on an integral molten salt reactor concept alongside possible natural gas generation. AI & Cyber Risk: OpenAI disclosed that its AI agents interacted with multiple U.S. government websites in unexpected ways, including SEC sites and an attempted Education Department civil-rights hack, while saying no credentials or nonpublic data were used. Local Infrastructure: Garrett County scheduled daytime road closures on Mosser and Garrett Roads (Sept. 28–Oct. 2) for culvert installations. Food Supply Watch: USDA announced a recall of ready-to-eat Korean chicken stew distributed to Maryland and other states after it entered without required import reinspection. Fraud Signals: Baltimore led Maryland cities with 45 BBB scam reports in August, with online purchase scams the most common category.

AI & Cybersecurity: OpenAI says its AI agents unexpectedly interacted with U.S. government websites, including SEC and Census pages, and also posted some user-uploaded images to image-hosting sites—prompting privacy and safety scrutiny. Data Centers & Regulation: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore issued an AI framework and new guardrails for data center development, aiming to add oversight and roll back tax exemptions amid industry and local-land-use pressure. Healthcare & Consumer Protection: UMMS agreed to a $2.25M settlement with Maryland over facility-fee notice issues, refunding eligible patients who paid out of pocket before the 2021 law took effect. Food Safety: FDA recalled Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning in six states over elevated lead; separate recall hit ready-to-eat Korean chicken stew distributed into Maryland. Energy & Infrastructure: A Chesapeake Bay dredging project used 60,000 cubic yards of sediment to restore Swan Island marsh, showing how disposal choices can reshape coastal resilience. Public Safety: A Gaithersburg bank teller stalled a robbery attempt, helping police arrest the suspect before cash was taken.

AI & Data Centers: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore rolled out sweeping proposed AI regulations, including a new executive order shaping how data centers are developed, as states grapple with the boom’s economic and environmental ripple effects. Port & Logistics: Two contractors died in an accident at Norfolk International Terminals, where Maryland-based McLean Contracting was performing maintenance at the South Berth—another reminder of the safety stakes in heavy industry. Food Safety: FDA-linked recall hits Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning after Maryland health officials found elevated lead; no illnesses reported, but consumers are told not to eat it. Space & Tech: NASA advanced PRIMA, a far-infrared telescope, into Phase B with a target launch no earlier than 2033—aimed at exoplanet and galaxy science beyond what JWST can do. Consumer Protection (Finance): AG Ford announced a multistate settlement with Credit Acceptance over auto-loan practices, plus a separate $2.3M multistate Labcorp settlement tied to a patient data breach. Local Industry & Growth: A Maryland-based developer filed to build a ~200,000-square-foot data center in Jessup, seeking 60 MW power and significant water use. Rural Maryland: The Rural Maryland Council launched a Rural Resident Needs Survey to guide future agriculture and rural development funding priorities.

Maryland Data Centers: Gov. Wes Moore is commissioning a new state task force to review major data center proposals and push for repeal of the 2020 tax exemption, with decisions guided by community support, environmental protections, and whether projects “pay their own way.” Quantum & Defense Tech: Microsoft is giving DARPA hands-on access to a new quantum research setup in Maryland’s Discovery District, as the state continues to market quantum as a jobs engine. Aviation for Rural Care: BETA Technologies launched all-electric flight operations in North Carolina’s eLIFT program to test faster delivery of critical healthcare supplies—an approach that could expand rural access nationwide. Baltimore Transit Crash: A stolen car crash into an MTA bus in East Baltimore sent 16 people to hospitals, including juveniles, prompting an investigation by Baltimore’s special response team. Consumer Health After Obamacare Cuts: A Reuters report highlights how Maryland-area families nationwide are navigating higher costs after dropping ACA coverage, with some shifting to short-term plans or going uninsured. Local Industry Pulse: Maryland’s quantum conference in College Park underscored global interest, while a separate push for stronger local rubber markets calls for more processing and infrastructure to keep value in the region.