find this page at:     www.baltimoreclimate.org   -   'State'   -   'State News & Updates'



Aiding the economy, protecting the planet
www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/letters/bal-ed.le.greenhouse12apr12,0,3827885.story
April 12, 2008    Letter to the Editor
. . .lobbyists representing industry and labor succeeded in smothering a bill ...that would have committed Maryland to reducing the state's greenhouse gas emissions... With the death of this bill went Maryland's opportunity to be on the forefront of the greenhouse gas mitigation movement. Regardless of the outcome of November's election, Congress is likely to enact a greenhouse gas bill of some kind in the next year or two. The upshot for Maryland businesses is that the defeat of the state's greenhouse gas reduction bill does little more than postpone the inevitable.. .   Read entire Letter. 
 

************************************************************************

ENERGY / SUSTAINABILITY BILLS PASSED
IN THE 2008 MD GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION:

EmPOWER Maryland:
(SB 205/HB 374) codifies Governor O’Malley’s goal to reduce statewide per-capita electricity consumption and peak demand by 15 percent by 2015. Utility companies will be responsible for 10 percent of the savings with the Maryland Energy Administration providing the other 5 percent. The bill will save Marylanders $4.1 billion in energy savings by 2020 and reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

RGGI – Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program
(SB 268/HB 368) gives the Maryland Energy Administration the resources to offer energy efficiency services to underserved markets that utility companies are not addressing. The fund will be financed through the upcoming sale of carbon allowances to power plants as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which Maryland joined as part of the 2006 Healthy Air Act.

Renewable Portfolio Standards
(SB 209/HB 375) increases the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) from 9.5 percent to 20 percent, which would increase the amount of clean, renewable energy used in Maryland. This will make our electricity system more reliable by diversifying our energy sources; it will also promote economic development while limiting greenhouse gas pollution.

Solar and Geothermal Tax Incentive and Grant Program
(HB 377/SB 207)   Expands the grant amounts awarded under the Solar Energy Grant Program and the Geothermal Heat Pump Grant Program in the Maryland Energy Administration. 

High Performance Building Act:
(SB 208/HB 376) require high performance buildings for new construction and renovation projects using state funds. High performance buildings allow for significant reductions in energy and water use.

Smart Growth
(SB 204/HB 373) implements Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), which is a critical part of the solution to curb global warming. TOD makes best use of transit investment, creates places where more daily trips can be done without driving, more efficiently uses land resources, and is a cornerstone of Maryland’s smart growth efforts.

The Jane E. Lawton Loan Program provides financial assistance in the form of low interest loans to nonprofit organizations, local jurisdictions, and eligible businesses for energy conservation projects. This passed the MD Legislature in April 2008:  SB 885/HB 1301  (consolidating the existing Community Energy Loan Program (CELP) and Energy Efficiency and Economic Development Loan Program (EEEDLP)).

************************************************************************

Global warming fight goes on;
Success of other bills leaves O'Malley camp unfazed by failure of greenhouse measure
Baltimore Sun,   April 9, 2008       By Timothy B. Wheeler
The O'Malley administration plans to move forward with efforts to combat global warming, despite the legislature's rejection of a high-profile bill that would have curbed Maryland's greenhouse gas emissions, officials said yesterday.   Read entire article. 

'Just a defender of embattled industry'
The Baltimore Sun, April 4, 2008
Washingtonian magazine just came out with a list of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," a dozen people "standing in the way" of saving Mother Earth. Among them: Michael Powell of Baltimore's own Gordon, Feinblatt, Yadda, Yadda & Yadda.

Powell said he hadn't seen the article, but he wasn't surprised. "If you are in a situation where you're fairly high profile, people have strong opinions," he said. "If you represent large industry, which is what I do, then some people are going to oppose anything you want to do."

But Powell, who represents the Maryland Industrial and Technology Alliance, said his fan base actually might be expanding - now that some labor unions have joined the fight against a state global warming bill.

"The biggest lobbyists on the global warming bill this year are the steelworkers," he said. "One of the funniest things I saw all year, the unions were hosted by the Maryland Republican Party when the debate [on the bill] happened on the Senate side. I'd never seen that happen before. They actually played host to them in the Republican caucus room."



"Millions of Jobs of a Different Collar." New York Times.
March 26, 2008 By STEVEN GREENHOUSE New York Times
EVERYONE knows what blue-collar and white-collar jobs are, but now a job of another hue — green — has entered the lexicon. . . Presidential candidates talk about the promise of “green collar” jobs — an economy with millions of workers installing solar panels, weatherizing homes, brewing biofuels, building hybrid cars and erecting giant wind turbines. Labor unions view these new jobs as replacements for positions lost to overseas manufacturing and outsourcing. Urban groups view training in green jobs as a route out of poverty. . . . read the article.


"Point's future is up to Annapolis."
Jay Hancock   March 26, 2008   The Baltimore Sun
[Mr. Hancock completely misses the big picture, worried about the short term fortunes of steel making at Sparrows Point.  But FYI, here is what the opposition is saying]   Read the article.


"The Russians are Coming." Editorial, Baltimore Sun
March 25, 2008  [Here's evidence that the Sun editors just don't get it yet].
". . . Severstal [the Russian company buying the steel mill at Sparrow's Point] deserves a warm welcome to Maryland - along with assurances that a half-billion dollars in additional investment at the Point would not go unnoticed. And any sensible legislator should agree that adopting statewide greenhouse gas policies that might prove far too costly for steelmaking and lead to the loss of more jobs than the minuscule environmental benefit could possibly justify would be worse than inhospitable."


Press Release - Office of the Governor
Governor O'Malley Meets with Climate Change Experts Expresses Support for Legislation That Would Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 90% by 2050
ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 19, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley today . . expressed his support for Senate Bill 309, ...which would that require the State to ...reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the State by 25% below 2006 levels by 2020, and 90% below 2006 levels by 2050.  “The climate crisis is real, and we must act now to reduce global climate change,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. Read the entire press release.



Washington State Legislature Passes Historic Climate Action measure
Press release:  Mar 5, 2008
OLYMPIA - Today, the Washington State Senate passed a historic climate action bill that joins
Washington with California and New Jersey in placing limits on greenhouse gas reductions and
begins the process to enact a cap-and-trade framework to reduce state emissions by at least 70%
over the next 40 years.  read entire press release


Climate Action in Annapolis
The legislature considers aggressive reductions in greenhouse gases.
(Editorial:  The Washington Post)    March 5, 2008; A20 
. . . . Until Washington breaks its maddening inertia on a national climate change policy, the states must be allowed to lead.    read entire article.


Tom Pelton's Blog (Baltimore Sun):  2-29-2008:     . . .  In Maryland, several unions have come out against the Global Warming Solutions Act, fearing loss of jobs in heavy industry. But nationally, other union leaders have taken a different stance toward climate change.   John J. Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, told a climate change conference in New York on Feb. 14 that governments need to act to try to stop global warming. "We hear again and again that we must choose between having a stable climate and having a strong global economy. This is a false choice," Sweeney said. "The global economy cannot prosper unless we secure a stable climate and sustainable sources of energy. Global warming means global Depression, food and water shortages and drowned cities. . .   read entire blog.  

**************************************************************************

Bill sets nation's toughest carbon emissions limits, aiming for 90% drop by 2050
Baltimore Sun  (AP) published 2-18-08
Gov. Martin O'Malley is preparing to back a sweeping plan to confront global warming through a state carbon cap, administration and environmental officials said today.  Read the article.

Demanding greenhouse curbs
State House protest urges tougher laws
January 18, 2008 By Tom Pelton The Baltimore Sun
Excerpt:                                 read the article

Snow fell on a global warming protest outside the State House yesterday, but it did not dampen the shouts of about 400 activists who urged lawmakers to pass the nation's toughest law to control greenhouse gases.

As supporters waved signs, chanted and banged drums, 18 legislators walked down a symbolic green carpet to sign up as co-sponsors of a bill that would require . . . Maryland to cut emissions of global warming pollution by 90 percent by 2050.
. . .
California has approved a law requiring an 80 percent reduction by midcentury, and Maryland's law is modeled after it. The Maryland proposal would order state agencies to come up with a variety of regulations to increase energy efficiency, encourage use of mass transit and discourage the burning of fossil fuels and sprawling development.

After last year's bill failed, Gov. Martin O'Malley appointed a climate change advisory commission that recommended that the state adopt a California-style program and cut greenhouse gases by 90 percent by 2050.
. . .
tom.pelton [at] baltsun.com

Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun

**************************************************************************

Planting [compact fluorescent] bulbs
January 18, 2008  Baltimore Sun Editorial
Excerpt:                            read the editorial

In Western Maryland, the president of Allegheny Power, the region's primary utility, had to apologize to his customers for sending them two energy-saving light bulbs.

People didn't like getting billed for unsolicited light bulbs, and now the company will refund their money. Yet if anyone on the receiving end simply screwed in one of those bulbs, it would pay for the $11.52 billing in a little over a year - and save the "victim" another $50 or so in electricity costs over another six years.

That's a great deal. Pay a little now, get back many times as much in the long term. We should all be so victimized. . . . A bulb in the hand … might actually get used.

Baltimore Gas and Electric went the optional route, offering free and discounted light bulbs at selected locations. That drew criticism, too, because all BGE customers pay for the service but don't necessarily end up with a bulb. Naturally, the naysayers ignored the fact that everyone saves when anyone conserves - it can help lower prices and ensure there's enough power to go around.

. . . Gov. Martin O'Malley's program, unveiled this week - an ambitious attempt to reduce the state's energy consumption by 15 percent in 15 years . . . [which] would create a strategic energy investment fund to promote more-efficient alternatives and expand the generation of renewable power. …It's not going to immediately lower utility bills. In fact, some components may - just like the light bulbs - cost consumers a little more in the short run in order for them to come out far ahead in the long term.

Nevertheless, such strategic planning is crucial. Maryland's energy problem is far more serious than 2006's BGE rate increase. Cheap power, particularly the kind that has pumped so much polluting carbon into the air, is gone forever . . . the governor's efforts fail, consumers will likely long for the days when a modest surcharge on their utility bills was considered a vexing problem.

**************************************************************************

O'Malley to offer energy package
Plan boosts conservation, could raise consumer costs
January 14, 2008 By Gadi Dechter, Sun reporter
Excerpted version:           read entire article

Gov. Martin O'Malley's energy administration will release sweeping legislative and policy recommendations today that include new power-conservation laws, an estimated $100 million fund for environment-friendly initiatives and an emphasis on consumer responsibility for electricity consumption.

Among the plan’s key elements:

• Creating a "strategic energy investment fund"  paid for by electricity companies that would invest in energy-efficient technologies and promote nonpolluting power alternatives.

• Asking lawmakers to pass a bill codifying Maryland's goal of reducing overall electricity consumption by 15 percent by 2015, based on 2007 usage.

• Requiring the state's utility companies to buy 20 percent of their power from wind, solar or other renewable sources by 2022 - and doubling the penalties for companies that do not.

To reward consumers for reducing their electricity use and investing in energy-efficient technologies, administration officials are proposing an array of incentives and subsidies paid by the energy fund, such as issuing rebates to customers who purchase more efficient appliances.

The fund will not rely on tax revenue. Instead, the governor is banking on proceeds from the auction of so-called pollution credits under an initiative of 10 states to voluntarily reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, power plants must keep emissions below a downward-sliding limit, or buy credits from cleaner power plants.

Brandon Farris, policy director of the Maryland Energy Administration, said Maryland expects to receive about $100 million a year from the sale of its pollution credits, though the yield won't be known until the first auction this summer. Larsen said the amount could be twice as high.

O'Malley officials acknowledge that power companies probably would pass on to consumers the costs of buying pollution credits, which would in turn drive up electricity bills unless the added costs are offset by reduced usage.

That's why the governor wants to use the fund to make it easier for consumers to lower energy consumption, [the Governor’s spokesman] Abbruzzese said.

gadi.dechter [at] baltsun.com

Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun

Activists: Action against global warming needed
O'Malley's office hints at stricter standards
The Capital  August 16, 2007
During a rally on sun-baked Lawyers Mall in Annapolis yesterday, activists and politicians called for Maryland to take serious actions to fight global warming.  Charging that it's time to "move from study to action," advocates are pushing for Maryland to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050. The reductions would be based on 2006 emissions levels.
read entire article on Capital site;         read entire article on baltimoreclimate.org

Greens rally for deeper cuts in carbon dioxide emissions
The Gazette:  Friday, Aug. 17, 2007
ANNAPOLIS — State lawmakers said Wednesday the cost of adding ‘‘green” practices to government buildings would pay off.  ‘‘There’s an up front investment and there are savings on the back end,” said Sen. Paul G. Pinsky, who was among about 70 environmental supporters at a rally in front of the State House, calling on Annapolis to do more to combat global warming
read entire article on Gazette site;         read entire article on baltimoreclimate.org

PRESS RELEASE    August 15, 2007 
CONTACT: Brad Heavner, Environment Maryland
Claire Douglass, Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Dawn Stoltzfus, Maryland League of Conservation Voters
Marylanders Call on Governor, Climate Commission to Commit to Targeted Reductions of Global Warming Pollution
Environmental Groups Rally Supporters and Deliver Petitions to Governor asking for 20 Percent Reductions in Global Warming Pollution by 2020, 80 Percent Reductions by 2050 
ANNAPOLIS, MD—A coalition of environmental groups held a rally in front of the Maryland State House today . . .  read entire Press Release