Maryland Session Wrap Up

Maryland General Assembly Recap
The Good, the Good, and the Ugly


Maryland's elected leaders just wrapped up their 2008 legislative session that was overall positive for progressive environmental issues. Clean Currents was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the environmental community as a strong advocate for manyof the bills that passed. There were several cleanenergy and global warming bills that were debated fiercely. Fortunately, Governor O'Malley and the leaders of the General Assembly put their political capital on the line to back these important measures.

Renewable Energy Solar and Geothermal Grant Program
The legislature passed a bill to increase the grant available for Maryland homeowners who put solar systems on their roofs, and added money for grants for geothermal systems as well. The new solar grant is for$2,500 a kilowatt up to a maximum of $10,000. It will help make solar more affordable for middle class Marylanders. For more information on the grant amount, or if you are interested in solar for your home or business, contact us at Clean Currents and we'll help you out!

Renewable Portfolio Standard
This one is personal for me. In 2001, I went to Annapolis to push for a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and almost nobody was willing to listen. After three years of hard work and some heart ache, I led the efforts to pass the state's first ever RPS, requiring energy companies in the state to get 7.5% clean energy. Now, the RPS has been improved a great deal. The legislature passed a bill to increase theRPS to 20% and increase the penalty for noncompliance. My what a difference a few years make!

Energy EfficiencyStrategic Energy Fund
The legislature passed a bill directing where the state can spend the proceeds from the carbon allowance auctions that are part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a ten state compact committing to reducing greenhouse gases from powerplants by 10% by 2019. As a member of RGGI, Maryland has agreed to use the carbon allowances from the state's fossil fuel power plants to invest in energy efficiency and clean energy. Passing the Strategic Energy Fund makes good on that promise. Now, consumers and businesses in Maryland will have access to tens of millions of dollars in aid to reduce their energy use and get powered with clean energy. Legislators fought off cynical efforts by some to divert the money to consumer payments that have nothing to do with energy efficiency. Investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy is the best long term strategy for saving consumers money, lowering our carbon output, and being more energy independent.

Empower Maryland
Governor O'Malley has challenged all Marylanders to cut our energy use. And now the state is committing to cutting per capita energy use by 15% by 2015. This is a great effort that will save consumers money, make usmore energy independent, and fight global warming.

Global Warming
The Ugly Maryland's environmental and progressive business community joined forces to make an unprecedented push for one of the nation's first ever statewide cap andreduction of global warming gases. The bill would have required Maryland to significantly cut global warming gases from all sectors of the economy. It would have created new jobs and exciting new business opportunities while upholding our moral responsibilityto protect the environment. Unfortunately, this is where "the ugly" won out. The owners of what used to be called Bethlehem Steel used their high priced lobbyists, combining with the usual array of well heeled attorneys for the polluting interests to kill the bill. The bill passed the Senate in a weakened form, but Delegate Derek Davis' Economic Matters Committee finished the bill off on the last day of session. There were some notable champions for this bill, including Senator Paul Pinsky and Delegate Kumar Barve. Unfortunately, the forces of the status-quo won out.