Environment Maryland sees progress today as Maryland House overrides Governor Hogan’s veto of renewable energy bill

Environment Maryland

Annapolis, MD—Today, the Maryland House of Delegates voted 88-51 to override Governor Larry Hogan’s veto of the Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2016 (SB 921/HB 1106), which will increase Maryland’s renewable energy use to 25% by 2020. The Maryland Senate plans to vote on the same bill this coming Thursday, February 2nd. 

Morgan Folger, Climate Campaign Organizer for Environment Maryland, released the following statement:

“The vote today in Maryland’s House of Delegates reaffirms the decision made last March to pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act. Since the Governor vetoed the bill in June, we’ve continued to see the impacts of global warming right here in Maryland. 2016 was declared the hottest year on record and we saw devastating flooding in Ellicott City this summer. It is clear that climate change is happening right now, and we need to continue to make progress to reduce global warming pollution. Increasing renewable energy to 25% by 2020 will do just that—ensure that we shift to renewable sources while reducing our reliance on dirty fossil fuels. We at Environment Maryland thank the Maryland House of Delegates for voting for clean energy and health in our state, and encourage the Maryland Senate to do the same this Thursday during their vote. Maryland has a thriving solar industry and plans to build an offshore wind farm off the coast of Ocean City in the next few years. Overriding Governor Hogan’s veto of the Clean Energy Jobs Act will continue to promote solar and wind power in Maryland and make Maryland a climate leader.”