Clean energy legislation passes

The Maryland General Assembly took big steps toward increasing renewable energy and energy efficiency during this year’s legislative session.

Renewable energy

Environment Maryland staff helped create the renewable energy standard in 2004. It required 7.5 percent of electricity to come from renewables by 2019. Last year, we added a 2 percent requirement specific to solar power on top of the existing standard.

This year, Gov. Martin O’Malley introduced Environment Maryland-backed legislation to improve the standard yet again. Utilities will be required to steadily increase the amount of renewable power they buy—from the current 2 percent to 20 percent­—over the next 14 years. 

Energy efficiency

The governor also introduced two clean energy bills that will increase energy efficiency programs. The EmPower Maryland initiative requires utilities to manage programs that reduce per capita electricity consumption 10 percent by 2015.

Another bill, the Strategic Energy Investment Program, is an outcome of the Healthy Air Act, which we helped pass two years ago. The new bill implements the funding provisions of the 2006 law. It will create $40 million per year for clean energy.

Clean energy

Our clean energy agenda for the legislative session also included bills covering solar power, green buildings and biofuels. We  helped pass the following legislation:

• An increase in the maximum grant from the solar energy grant program to $10,000 for solar panels and $3,000 for solar hot water systems.
• A clarification that residential communities cannot prohibit the installation of solar panels.
• A requirement that new state buildings and public schools must be built according to “LEED Silver” green building standards.
• Creation of the Maryland Clean Energy Center to help develop the clean energy industry in the state.
• An income tax credit for homeowners who use biodiesel as home heating oil.

Global warming pollution cap fails

Unfortunately, not all our campaigns went as well as the clean energy campaign this year. The General Assembly failed to pass the Global Warming Solutions Act this session, which would have required the state to reduce global warming pollution 25 percent by 2020.

Despite not being impacted by  the legislation, the United Steelworkers played into the hands of lobbyists opposing the bill. Three other unions endorsed the bill, since it would have created thousands of green jobs, but legislative leaders backed down in the face of the dispute.

Environment Maryland will continue to press for a statewide cap on global warming pollution, in addition to implementing specific clean energy policies. The Maryland Commission on Climate Change will issue its first annual report in June, which will include dozens of policy recommendations.

Learn more.