LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Maryland coalition pushes for new standards for renewable energy use 

Credit:  By Ovetta Wiggins | The Washington Post | January 8, 2015 | ~~

A coalition of environmentalists, business leaders and social justice activists in Maryland are pushing for legislation that would reduce the state’s dependency on fossil fuel by doubling its clean energy mandate from 20 to 40 percent.

“We can and must pass legislation in 2015 to double wind and solar power for Maryland,” said Tommy Landers, the policy director in Maryland for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and a representative of the Maryland Climate Coalition. “As Maryland moves forward with clean energy, we will move forward on jobs, forward on health, and forward on climate action.”

State Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery) has agreed to sponsor the bill in the Senate, but there currently is no House sponsor.

Similar legislation was unsuccessful last session, and Gov.-elect Larry Hogan (R) has not offered his views on the proposal.

“There are few sectors in Maryland’s economy that are more promising than the clean energy sector in terms of jobs and growth,” Feldman said in a statement. “Solar is bigger than the crab industry now in this state. This legislation helps expand that prosperity with a sound policy that creates investment certainty for businesses and consumers.”

The state’s current benchmark for Renewable Portfolio Standard is 20 percent by 2022. The new goal under the proposed legislation would be 40 percent by 2025.

Landers said the standard was originally signed by former Gov. Robert L. Erhlich (R) and under the new proposal the rate would gradually increase.

Earlier this week, California lawmakers moved to raise its RPS to 50 percent by 2030.

“Maryland can be a leader and can do the same thing,” Landers said. “We need to.”

Bob Keefe, Executive Director of Environmental Entrepreneurs, a group that represents business leaders and tracks clean energy jobs, said the legislation would improve Maryland’s economy, noting that states with the best clean energy standards have more clean energy jobs and companies seek to locate in states with high standards.

“There is no reason Maryland should not be up there as well,” Keefe said. “All it needs is the political will.”

Ovetta Wiggins writes about K-12 education.

Source:  By Ovetta Wiggins | The Washington Post | January 8, 2015 |

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky