Clean energy victories
The Solar Energy Grant Program is the state’s leading mechanism to promote solar power, providing grants to install solar energy units in homes and businesses. Yet this program has been drastically underfunded, providing grants for just 22 homeowners last year.

Environment Maryland brought together an alliance of environmental, energy and business interests to expand support for the program. Working with our partners, we convinced the governor to allocate $2.5 million for solar power. Unfortunately, the office of legislative analysis recommended cutting all but $500,000 of the funding. In the end, Environment Maryland managed to convince the General Assembly to keep $1.5 million of the funding. This support will help fund about 600 solar systems over the next year.

We also helped pass a bill to create more generous terms for connecting a building with solar panels to the electricity grid. Surplus energy they generate over the course of a month will now be counted as a credit on the following month’s energy bill. In addition, we successfully advocated for legislation committing the state to reduce energy consumption by ten percent.

Mercury contamination bills
Mercury, a known neurotoxin, has long been a target for environmental and public health advocates. This year, Environment Maryland helped pass two bills that will reduce mercury pollution in Maryland. In addition to the Healthy Air Act, the General Assembly passed a bill to ban the sale and manufacture of thermostats that contain mercury. When disposed of improperly, mercury thermostats are often incinerated, contributing to the state’s mercury pollution.

Environment Maryland also supported a bill that creates a program to reclaim mercury from automobiles when they are scrapped. Mercury is a component in switches used in cars, even though mercury- free alternatives exist. That bill passed the Senate but stalled in the House.

Agricultural runoff pollution
Environment Maryland continues work to make poultry companies clean up their act and to invest $100 million in conservation practices on farms. This funding is vital if Maryland hopes to meet its bay restoration deadline.

On Jan. 16, the governor responded with $15 million in new funding for agricultural conservation practices for the coming year.

In addition, the General Assembly passed a bill that contains $62 million in recommended appropriations. However, that funding is not guaranteed. The bill also makes some policy changes that will improve farmland preservation and tax credits for farmers.

“While these efforts are a good step toward helping agriculture in Maryland become more sustainable, they do not approach the level for funding needed to create healthy farms,” said Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, staff attorney of Environment Maryland.