Maryland Adopts Historic Global Warming Law Mandating Greenhouse Gas Reductions from Power Plants

In a major victory against global warming, the Maryland General Assembly gave final approval Friday to the strongest power-plant cleanup bill ever passed by a legislative body in America. In addition to dramatically reducing nitrogen, sulfur and mercury pollution, the Maryland Healthy Air Act requires that the state join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a consortium of eastern states committed to mandatory CO2 reductions from power plants. Continue reading

Ehrlich's Land Funding Too Late, Watchdogs Say

Last week, Ehrlich unveiled the Clean Power Rule, his version of the initiative. But some environmentalists say that the regulation’s timetable and targets mean it “does half of what the Healthy Air Act does,” said Brad Heavner, director of the Maryland Public Interest Research Group, an environmental watchdog group. Although “the Healthy Air Act has been introduced four times,” he said, “I think some version of the bill will pass this year.” Continue reading

New Report Shows Clean Energy Can Lower Natural Gas Prices for Virginia Consumers

A coalition of Virginia renewable energy stakeholders, lead by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), released a report today that outlines how adopting mandatory renewable energy legislation will save Virginians’ $30 million dollars in energy costs over the next ten years. The report is part of a campaign CCAN is waging to get Virginia to adopt legislation mandating 15 to 20 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2015. Continue reading