D.C. Council Unanimously Approves 50% Renewable Energy Target

D.C. Council Unanimously Approves Region-Leading 50% Renewable Energy Target

The bill commits D.C. to 50% clean power by 2032; creates a program to cut bills in half for 100,000 low-income families
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The nation’s capital took another step toward nation-leading climate action today, as the District of Columbia Council unanimously approved legislation (B21-650) to expand D.C.’s renewable energy target to 50 percent by 2032.
“Today’s vote is a major step toward growing the District’s clean energy economy,” said Councilmember Mary Cheh (Ward 3), lead sponsor of B21-650. “This bill will create good-paying jobs, more affordable energy, and healthier air for all District residents.”
The bill, which heads to the desk of Mayor Muriel Bowser, sets one of the top-five mandatory clean energy goals in the nation at the state level. By creating incentives for 1,500 Megawatts of new solar and wind power, the bill will quadruple jobs in D.C.’s solar industry, which currently employs 1,000 people. It will also reduce climate pollution at a rate equal to taking 500,000 cars off the road per year.
On top of expanding D.C.’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, the bill establishes a “Solar for All” program that aims to cut the electric bills of 100,000 low-income District households in half by 2032 using clean energy and energy conservation.
“The D.C. Council is setting an example of strong climate action that leaders on Capitol Hill and across our region should follow,” said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Solar and wind are the fastest growing sources of power, and D.C. is positioning itself to capture the benefits of cleaner air, thousands of new jobs, and a better future for all residents.”
Clean energy is already a growing source of power and a driver of economic development in the District. D.C.’s existing renewable energy standard requires 20% of the District’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020, a target the city is on pace to exceed. D.C. currently has over 250 clean energy companies, which are positioned to grow under the new policy.
“Washington, D.C. is already seeing a solar boom, and it’s about to get a whole lot bigger,” said Atta Kiarash, Construction Manager at D.C.-based Solar Solution, LLC. “Today’s vote will create an estimated 4,000 new D.C. jobs in the solar industry that pay middle class wages and offer career pathways for D.C. workers.”
The bill passed today will assist D.C.’s low-income residents in particular. Low-income households spend a high proportion of their income on energy bills. By connecting low-income families to low-cost clean energy and money-saving energy efficiency upgrades, the bill will help D.C. residents cover basic needs like food, housing and education. More clean energy will also reduce toxic air pollution that disproportionately impacts the health of low-income people and people of color.
“With Mayor Bowser’s signature, D.C. will join the ranks of a number of cities and states leading a clean energy revolution,” said Chris Weiss, Executive Director, of the DC Environmental Network. “The D.C. Council is taking the steps necessary to more aggressively curb carbon emissions that cause climate change. Additionally, the Solar for All program will make sure clean and affordable renewable energy is available to all District residents. The DC Environmental Network urges Mayor Bowser to sign this bill as soon as possible.”
D.C. has more than enough renewable resources at hand to meet and exceed the 50% target approved today. D.C. can meet its higher goal by tapping just 11 percent of the wind power already in queue to be developed in the region. Meanwhile, D.C.’s total solar potential is 2 Gigawatts, or four times greater than the 5% solar “carve-out” set by the new legislation.
Resources:

Contact:
Kelly Trout, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org, 240-396-2022
James McGarry, james@chesapeakeclimate.org, 914-563-2256

###

 

CCAN Applauds D.C. for Divesting its $6.4 Billion Pension Fund from Fossil Fuels

Washington, D.C. – Today, D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen joined environmental and philanthropic leaders to announce that the District of Columbia Retirement Board (DCRB) has divested its $6.4 billion fund from all direct investments in 200 of the world’s most polluting fossil fuel companies. On Tuesday, June 7th, the D.C. Council will vote on a ceremonial resolution honoring the DCRB’s action.
This week’s announcement follows a three-year campaign led by DC Divest, a citizens group dedicated to promoting divestment in the District of Columbia.
Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), issued the following statement in response:
“The District of Columbia Retirement Board deserves our applause for taking bold and decisive action to divest from fossil fuel companies. Global warming is already causing record flooding, heat and storms in D.C. and across our region, threatening our health, economy and future. We must take immediate action, and the District is taking a big step forward by cutting financial ties with oil, gas and coal companies that are responsible for creating this crisis and blocking our path to solutions.
“We cannot and must not back down when it comes to fighting for a cleaner, safer future. This win on divestment is one of many more to come in making the nation’s capital a leader on climate action.”
See the DC Divest press release at: http://dcdivest.org/2016/06/06/dc-divests-pension-fund-oil-gas-coal-companies/

###

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the biggest and oldest grassroots organization dedicated to fighting climate change in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. CCAN is building a powerful movement to shift our region away from climate-harming fossil fuels and to clean energy solutions: www.chesapeakeclimate.org.

CCAN Condemns Hogan's Veto of Bill to Expand Clean Energy and Jobs in Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, Md.–Despite its passage with overwhelming, bipartisan, and veto-proof support, Governor Larry Hogan today vetoed legislation that would expand Maryland’s use of solar and wind power, create thousands of family-sustaining jobs, and help thousands of Maryland households reduce their electric bills through solar energy.
The Clean Energy Jobs Act (SB 921/HB 1106), sponsored by Senator Catherine Pugh and Delegate Bill Frick, would commit Maryland to getting 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, up from the current goal of 20 percent by 2022. This step would create incentives for roughly 1,300 Megawatts of new clean energy.
A 2016 poll conducted by the nonpartisan firm OpinionWorks showed that nearly three-quarters of Maryland voters, including a majority of Republicans, back the renewable energy expansion.
Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, released the following statement in response:
“Governor Hogan’s veto of the bipartisan Clean Energy Jobs Act is a shock to business leaders and Marylanders who value clean air and water.
“While we fully expect the General Assembly to override this veto, Governor Hogan has ushered in harm to our economy and environment in the meantime. This veto will likely cause immediate job losses in the solar industry, while temporarily delaying reductions in harmful air, water and climate pollution. It’s deeply hypocritical for the Governor to say he supports reducing greenhouse gas pollution and now to veto the top policy solution.
“In defending his veto, Governor Hogan ignored the overwhelming economic and consumer benefits of clean energy, while using misleading statistics to distort the cost impact of the bill. In fact, the Clean Energy Jobs Act does not impose any new taxes while it will help Marylanders save money through affordable solar and better health. Meanwhile, the costs of fossil fuels to our health and climate keep rising.
“In a state that’s experienced so much clean energy job growth and is so vulnerable to sea level rise, the Governor’s veto is bad for business, bad for our environment, and bad politics.”

Expanding Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to 25% by 2020 will:

  • Grow Jobs: Over 1,000 new high-paying Maryland solar jobs will be created in addition to Maryland’s 4,300 existing jobs in the solar sector.
  • Protect Health: Significantly improve the state’s air quality while preventing 25 to 50 premature deaths per year and increasing regional economic growth by $200 million to $450 million annually due to better health outcomes.
  • Combat Climate Change: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 2.7 million metric tons per year. That’s the carbon equivalent of taking 563,000 passenger vehicles off the road every year.

###

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the biggest and oldest grassroots organization dedicated to fighting climate change in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. CCAN is building a powerful movement to shift our region away from climate-harming fossil fuels and to clean energy solutions: www.chesapeakeclimate.org.

Protest Greets Dominion CEO at Annual Meeting in South Carolina

Photo credit: Ian Ware

Dominion Greeted by Protests Over Rigged Democracy and Dirty Energy Outside Annual Shareholder Meeting in Columbia

Activists from Md., Va., N.C. and S.C. unite to challenge business practices that jeopardize shareholders, communities, and the climate

Columbia, S.C. — Activists from across the Southeast converged outside Dominion Resources’ annual shareholder meeting in Columbia this morning, urging the company to abandon its drive for decades of more dirty energy investments and instead lead the region’s transition to renewable energy.
Under banners reading “Our Climate, Our Democracy. SOLD to the highest bidder: Dominion,” and “No more business as usual. Keep it in the ground,” roughly 20 protesters greeted the arriving utility executives, board members and shareholders by staging a mock auction of citizens’ clean air, clean water, climate and democracy. “Dominion officials” repeatedly outbid “the people,” using their deep pockets to buy off elected leaders and block meaningful clean energy solutions.
Inside the meeting, activist shareholders presented five separate environmental resolutions aimed at forcing the company to clean up its act.
“Dominion is putting short-sighted profits ahead of our right to clean air and water, a stable climate, and a functioning democracy,” said Dyanna Jaye with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and one of the protest organizers. “As Dominion pours cash into our political system, it gets a license to keep pouring toxins into our waters and pumping heat-trapping pollution into our atmosphere.”
Dominion is a primary force behind a massive overbuild of new infrastructure for fracked gas across the region — including its controversial proposed 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline — and a major campaign contributor to state politicians in Virginia, where the company is headquartered. A report released last month shows that Dominion’s $5.1 billion pipeline is part of a significant overbuild by the gas industry that puts landowners, ratepayers and investors at risk.
Protesters traveled from as far as Lusby, Maryland, where Dominion is constructing its Cove Point gas export facility, to highlight the harm these investments have on local communities.
“I live in one of the 2,365 houses within a two-mile evacuation radius around Dominion’s Cove Point facility,” said Ana Ojeda of Lusby, who is a member of We Are Cove Point and Calvert Citizens for a Healthy Community. “I’m lucky enough to be able to take a day off and drive all the way down to Columbia. I’m here to express how anguished and heart-broken our community is at having to host this toxic facility. We’re going to suffer so Dominion can profit.”
Lusby residents were joined by activists from Virginia, where Dominion is facing public backlash and a lawsuit for polluting the state’s rivers and drinking water with toxic coal ash. In February, more than 600 people marched through the streets of downtown Richmond to protest state permits allowing Dominion to dump half a billion gallons of coal ash wastewater into the James River and a tributary of the Potomac River. Two weeks later, more than 30 students staged a sit-in at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality amidst revelations that Virginia’s top regulator, David Paylor, took a 2013 golf vacation on Dominion’s dime.
“Dominion’s plans to invest billions in fracked-gas power plants and pipelines will shackle its customers and its shareholders to the health and financial risks of dirty energy for generations to come,” said Hannah Wiegard, Virginia Campaign Coordinator at Appalachian Voices. “With the solar industry booming, energy efficiency immediately at hand, and the costs of climate change rising, clean energy is the safest and savviest investment today.”
Activists from Columbia and nearby North Carolina joined today’s action in solidarity against Dominion’s multi-billion-dollar pipeline plan that would trample property rights and worsen climate change.
“South Carolina legislators listened to their constituents and spoke out against the Palmetto Pipeline that threatened local property rights and our environment,” said Drew Hudson, a Columbia resident (Earlwood) and director of Environmental Action. “But Dominion is seizing land and paving pipelines across hundreds of families in North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and beyond. What’s fair here should be fair everywhere — no more seizing private property for corporate profit and at the expense of our water, air and climate.”
Shareholders presented resolutions inside the meeting pushing Dominion to acknowledge the financial risks climate change would pose to its bottom line, to include an environmental expert on the company’s board, to make public its rationale for funding the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — a group known for its aggressive support of climate change denial and attacks on clean energy — and more.
Ruth Amundsen, a shareholder who traveled from Norfolk, Virginia, said: “This is really a pivotal time. So many utilities are learning that a new business model is needed. They need to fully commit to renewable energy, and learn to profit from a distributed generation network. If Dominion can be flexible enough to do that, they can remain a thriving business into the future, and help not only local economies and job markets, but make our energy network more resilient and less polluting to boot. Remaining tied to fossil fuels because that is the way they have always worked — that model is not going to be successful in the future. To quote Arnold Schwarzenegger: It’s like being the last horse-and-buggy salesman in the age of cars, or the last investor in Blockbuster in the dawn of Netflix.”
The five accountability resolutions are Items 4,5,7,8 and 9 in the 2016 proxy statement: https://www.dom.com/library/domcom/pdfs/investors/proxy-2016.pdf?la=en
Photos from the outside protest are available at: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/press-releases/protest-greets-dominion-ceo-at-annual-meeting-in-south-carolina/
CONTACT:
Dyanna Jaye, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 757-375-0678, dyanna@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
Hannah Wiegard, Appalachian Voices, 804-536-5598, hannah@appvoices.org

###

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the biggest and oldest grassroots organization dedicated to fighting climate change in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. CCAN is building a powerful movement to shift our region away from climate-harming fossil fuels and to clean energy solutions: www.chesapeakeclimate.org.

Appalachian Voices is an award-winning nonprofit organization that brings people together to protect the communities and natural resources of the Appalachian region. We promote a shift from harmful, polluting energy practices — including mountaintop removal coal mining and natural gas fracking — to a cleaner, more just and sustainable energy future: www.appvoices.org.

Report Card Warns Gov. McAuliffe is Close to ‘Flunking Out’ on Climate and Clean Energy Priorities

Va. environmental, justice, student, and faith groups give the Governor a ‘D+’ average, weighed down by fracked-gas pipeline and coal ash failings

McAuliffe can rescue his legacy by developing a strong ‘Clean Power Plan,’ say advocates

RICHMOND—A coalition of environmental, social justice, faith, student, and community leaders issued Governor Terry McAuliffe an interim grade of “D+” today in releasing a first-of-its-kind report card on his two-year record on climate change and clean energy priorities in Virginia. The report finds that the Governor’s record so far has been a “significant disappointment” compared to his promises as a candidate and in light of the growing urgency of the climate crisis.
The report is available to view and download at: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/McAuliffe-Report-Card-Climate-Energy.pdf
The Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Virginia Organizing, the Virginia Student Environmental Coalition, and Interfaith Power & Light (MD.DC.NoVA) released the report, which grades Governor McAuliffe across five categories. He received the lowest marks—an “F” and “D-” respectively—for enabling toxic coal ash pollution and for promoting the largest proposed fossil fuel expansion Virginia has seen in a generation, including massive pipelines and new power plants fueled by fracked gas.
The high-pollution impact of the Governor’s support for fossil fuels threatens to overshadow his modest steps forward to spur clean energy and to address sea-level rise, the groups warn.
“When coastal Virginia is flooding at ‘normal’ high tide, we’re out of time for Governor McAuliffe’s ‘one step forward, two steps back’ approach,” said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Climate leadership, at its core, means keeping fossil fuels in the ground, not lobbying for decades more reliance on fracked gas and offshore oil drilling. In this regard, the Governor has failed the climate, and the health and safety of Virginians, in a major way.”
Leaders with the Potomac Riverkeeper Network and landowners fighting the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines joined a tele-press conference this morning.
“Governor McAuliffe gets a double ‘F’ on coal ash just like his name. His administration has failed to protect its citizens by giving Dominion virtually a free license to pollute our rivers and drinking water. His regulatory agency has totally failed to provide any meaningful oversight of Dominion,” said Dean Naujoks, Potomac Riverkeeper. “Virginia’s chief regulator, David Paylor, has acted as a partner to Dominion, joining Dominion on a lavish golf trip before covering up a 27.5 million gallon coal ash wastewater dump into the Potomac River. Yet, the Governor has done nothing to rectify the situation.”
The groups give Governor McAuliffe an “incomplete” for his response to the federal “Clean Power Plan,” which they cite as the Governor’s biggest opportunity to transform his record.
“Virginia Organizing is committed to clean energy to create new jobs and, most importantly, to protect our precious natural resources,” said LaDelle McWhorter, Chairperson of Virginia Organizing. “It is time for Governor Terry McAuliffe to take action and for that action to be in the interest of the people of Virginia, not those who represent the big polluters.”
Governor McAuliffe has sole authority to prepare a state plan to implement the federal rules, which are designed to reduce carbon pollution from power plants. Previously, McAuliffe lobbied with the state’s largest utility company, Dominion Virginia Power, to lower Virginia’s requirements. His design of a state plan could either fully embrace clean energy or allow Dominion to invest in more polluting gas and increase carbon emissions for years to come.
“Climate change presents an urgent moral challenge to Governor McAuliffe and all people of goodwill across the Commonwealth,” said Joelle Novey, director of Interfaith Power & Light (MD.DC.NoVA). “Virginia’s faith communities are already doing everything they can to shift to cleaner power, and today we call on Governor McAuliffe to follow our lead by developing a strong ‘Clean Power Plan’ that faithfully lowers pollution using real solutions: solar, wind and efficiency. We all are called to act on climate for the sake of our neighbors and future generations.”
The report and the speakers on today’s call noted other key areas where Governor McAuliffe’s administration can rectify low marks, from requiring utilities to move toxic coal ash to modern, lined landfills to using the state’s Clean Water Act authority to block key pipeline permits.
“Governor McAuliffe has so far abandoned landowners like me, as we fight to protect our natural heritage and homes from multi-billion dollar corporations and a derelict federal agency,” said Scott Ballin, an Augusta County landowner whose home lies in the path of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. “By joining calls for a combined regional pipeline review, and denying state water permits, Governor McAuliffe could yet become an ally.”
“The Governor’s support of fracked gas pipelines and infrastructure that blasts through venerable mountain forests, sullying streams, creeks and groundwater and destroying whole watersheds in its path to export terminals, is extremely short sighted,” said Roberta Bondurant, a long-time Bent Mountain resident and a member of POWHR (Protect Our Water, Heritage, and Rights) and Preserve Roanoke/Bent Mountain, groups fighting the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline. “Among those in the pipeline opposition is a cadre of incredibly capable and talented environmental and energy scientists, and the Governor should avail himself of their experience and wisdom to protect our water resources. He has the opportunity, in the Clean Power Plan, to establish his legacy of renewable energy. We encourage him to seize it.”
A concern repeated throughout the report is the role of Dominion—the largest non-party campaign donor and largest climate polluter in Virginia—in influencing the McAuliffe administration’s policies.
“Students are deeply concerned that Governor McAuliffe is putting the profits of Dominion before a healthy future for all Virginians,” said Laura Cross, a second year student at the University of Virginia and a member of the Virginia Student Environmental Coalition. “We hope this report card is a wake-up call for the Governor. We need real leadership, and we need it now.”

###

Contact:
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
Amanda Pohl, 804-337-1912, amanda@virginia-organizing.org

D.C. Circuit Court Hears Environmental Challenge to Feds’ Approval of Cove Point Gas Export Facility in Maryland

Groups argue that FERC illegally overlooked harm from expanded fracking, explosion risks, and tanker traffic in the Chesapeake Bay

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Environmental groups faced off with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals today, arguing that the agency illegally overlooked significant pollution and human safety risks in approving a massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal along the Chesapeake Bay in southern Maryland.
The $3.8 billion Cove Point facility was approved in October 2014 and is currently under construction by Cove Point LNG, LP, a subsidiary of Dominion Resources. It would be the first LNG export terminal on the East Coast and, the groups argue, would play a major role in expanding harmful fracking operations across the Mid-Atlantic region.
Earthjustice filed the lawsuit (Case No. 15-1127) in May 2015 on behalf of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Patuxent Riverkeeper, and the Sierra Club, after FERC ended nearly seven months of delay and officially denied the groups’ request for a rehearing. The case is part of a steady line of lawsuits challenging FERC for facilitating a massive expansion of gas export infrastructure and pipelines without fully accounting for the public and environmental harms.
“FERC once again shirked its duty under federal environmental law, and the result could be a disaster for both the climate and communities scarred by fracking wells and pipelines,” said Deborah Goldberg, managing attorney at Earthjustice, who presented oral arguments to the court today. “We are asking the court to require that FERC go back to the drawing board and fully evaluate the many ways in which this project will degrade the environment.”
Specifically, the petitioners are asking the federal court to require FERC to prepare a more rigorous Environmental Impact Statement, and to order Dominion to halt construction in the meantime.
The groups contend that FERC circumvented the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to credibly consider the significant new amounts of air, water, and climate pollution that would be triggered by expanded fracking and fracked-gas infrastructure “upstream” of the Cove Point facility. Dominion is permitted to export nearly one billion cubic feet of gas per day. Analysis indicates that, accounting for emissions triggered across the lifecycle of fracking, piping, liquefying, shipping and burning the gas, the Cove Point terminal could cause more greenhouse gas pollution than all eight of Maryland’s coal-fired power plants combined.
“It defies logic and the law for FERC to claim that it can’t determine whether exporting massive new amounts of gas will involve new fracking, or new emissions of heat-trapping methane,” said Anne Havemann, general counsel at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Based on a shoddy environmental review, FERC has already subjected residents of Calvert County to irreparable harm. We look to the court to step in before an ounce of gas is exported, causing even more harm to our climate and worsening record heat, storms, sea-level rise, and flooding.”
“The stated purpose of this and other export terminals is to provide a market for increased gas production,” said Nathan Matthews, staff attorney at Sierra Club, who is litigating Sierra Club’s challenges to other LNG export approvals. “Exports plainly mean more drilling, more fracking, and more climate-disrupting pollution, but FERC has consistently refused to consider any of these impacts.”
The groups’ legal petition further cites FERC’s failure to adequately address the safety threats to nearby residents in Lusby, Maryland—where the liquefaction plant would be built in closer proximity to residences than any other facility previously approved by FERC. Additionally, the groups contend that FERC did not thoroughly consider how foreign tanker ships discharging dirty ballast water will harm the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay or how an increase in tanker traffic could threaten the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.
Lawyers for Dominion and the American Petroleum Institute joined FERC in court today to defend the agency’s limited environmental review.
The D.C. Circuit has previously heard challenges by Sierra Club and Galveston Baykeeper to FERC’s approval of LNG export facilities at Sabine Pass, Louisiana, and Freeport, Texas, but has yet to rule in those cases. Sierra Club has also challenged FERC’s approval of the Corpus Christi, Texas, LNG export facility. That case is fully briefed, but has not yet been set for oral argument.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:

###

CONTACT:
Kelly Trout, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 240-396-2022 (office), kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kathleen Scatassa, Earthjustice, 212-845-7380 (office) kscatassa@earthjustice.org

Maryland's Prince George’s County Approves Ban on Fracking

Prince George’s County Council unanimously passes a zoning change to prohibit dangerous drilling

Upper Marlboro, MD — Today, the Prince George’s County Council voted unanimously to ban hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, within the county. The measure, introduced by Councilwoman Mary Lehman and approved 8-0, amends the zoning ordinance to prohibit the gas drilling technique in all areas of the county, which sits atop a known gas basin. The ban goes into effect immediately, and comes after months of work by citizens supported by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Food & Water Watch, and the Sierra Club.
“The public health and environmental dangers of fracking are far too real,” said Martha Ainsworth, Chair of the Sierra Club’s Prince George’s County Group, welcoming the ban. “We cannot risk our and our children’s future by allowing this to happen in Prince George’s County.”
Prince George’s, Maryland’s second most-populous county, is the first county to adopt a ban on fracking since the Maryland General Assembly passed a two-year moratorium on the practice last year. The moratorium comes to an end in October 2017, leaving the state vulnerable to this dangerous drilling process. To date, one other Maryland county has taken similar action. In the fall of 2014, the Montgomery County Council adopted a change to its county zoning laws that essentially prohibits fracking.
“Prince George’s County is showing that the grassroots opposition to fracking is only growing across Maryland,” said Thomas Meyer, Maryland Organizer with Food & Water Watch. “The Council listened to residents and the science, and made the right move by banning fracking. The Maryland General Assembly should follow Prince George’s lead and do the same.”
Outside of Western Maryland, Prince George’s County is one of the Maryland counties most at risk for fracking. The southeastern third of the county sits on top of the Taylorsville Basin, which extends northeast from Richmond, Virginia, to Annapolis, Maryland, and is estimated to contain more than 500 billion cubic feet of gas. (1) Across the Potomac River in Virginia, a Texas-based company has already leased more than 80,000 acres for potential fracking in the Taylorsville Basin. Parts of Charles, Anne Arundel, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties also sit atop this basin.
“Today’s vote follows months of citizen organizing, driven by concern for the county’s air and water quality, for real estate values, and for the climate,” said Monique Sullivan, Field Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “The County Council’s action will keep dirty fuels in the ground and protect the health and safety of citizens. In the coming year, this same citizen movement will push our General Assembly to follow suit.”
In the lead up to today’s vote, organizers and volunteers held film screenings and presentations at community meetings and churches across the county, gathered over 1,000 petitions to County Councilmembers, delivered a letter of support signed by more than 25 organizations and businesses, and packed the room at fall and spring hearings on the ban measure.
“We are working hard to protect our agricultural and rural resources in the part of the County that would be most affected by fracking,” said Joanne Flynn, a farm owner and Vice President of the Greater Baden Aquasco Citizens Association. “I am proud to see our County Council being forward thinking in addressing this issue, and hope that the State of Maryland will follow Prince George’s lead and ban this dangerous and toxic industry statewide.”
Southeastern Prince George’s County is primarily rural, with more than 4,000 drinking water wells—and a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, the Patuxent River—potentially impacted by contamination from the fracking process. Homeowners in the county were some of the hardest hit by the 2008 recession, and recent studies show drilling activity can have a chilling effect on property values.
The affected area of the county is particularly vulnerable to the threat of fracking due to its proximity to several existing or planned gas-fired power plants and a planned liquefied natural gas export facility at Cove Point, in neighboring Calvert County.
Contact:
Kelly Trout, (240) 396-2022, Kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
Thomas Meyer, (202) 683-4945, tmeyer@fwwatch.org
Josh Tulkin, 240-764-5307, josh.tulkin@mdsierra.org

###

1. United States Geological Survey (USGS). 2011. “Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the East Coast Mesozoic Basins of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge Thrust Belt, Atlantic Coastal Plain, and New England Provinces”.  Table 1.
 

Maryland Senate Approves Significant Clean Energy Expansion

Legislation will increase use of wind and solar while creating family-sustaining jobs and healthier air
Annapolis, M.D.— Today, the Maryland Senate voted by a resounding 31-14 margin to approve legislation that will significantly expand the state’s renewable energy standard. The bill, called the Clean Energy Jobs Act (SB 921) will ensure Maryland gets 25 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources like wind and solar by 2020, up from the current goal of 20 percent by 2022. The accelerated target would rank Maryland sixth nationally in terms of ramping up clean energy use by 2020, right behind Vermont, California, Hawaii, New York, and Connecticut.
The House of Delegates passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act (HB 1106) by a bipartisan 92-43 margin last month. The House and Senate must take final votes to approve the same version of the bill before it heads to Governor Larry Hogan’s desk.
“Maryland is on the cusp of cementing its national leadership role among states in solving climate change,” said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “After approving deeper climate pollution cuts, the General Assembly is now poised to accelerate clean energy solutions.”
Expanding Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to 25 percent means roughly 1,300 new megawatts of clean energy will be generated. Maryland’s solar industry already includes more than 170 companies and over 4,300 jobs today. This increase will create over 1,000 new Maryland jobs during construction per year and new solar companies in Maryland too. In addition, it will create approximately 4,600 direct jobs in our region from wind.
“Today’s vote is a major step toward growing Maryland’s clean energy economy,” said Senator Catherine Pugh, lead sponsor of SB 921. “This bill will create good-paying jobs and healthier air for communities in Baltimore and across Maryland that urgently need both.”
“2016 is proving to be a landmark year for clean energy progress in Maryland,” said Delegate Bill Frick, lead sponsor of HB 1106. “Maryland has a real opportunity to harness clean energy as a new economic engine for our state.”
The Senate version of the Clean Energy Jobs Act will also advance Maryland’s efforts to build a diverse clean energy workforce. SB 921 was amended to create a working group process among government agencies and clean energy stakeholders to examine the best funding opportunities through new and existing programs to invest in job training and to remove barriers to entry for minority- and women-owned clean energy businesses. The bill also makes small minority- and women-owned businesses in Maryland eligible to receive dedicated funding for market growth through the state’s “Strategic Energy Investment Fund.”
“This bill is a big win for working families in Maryland, ensuring that solar, especially community solar, continues to grow in our state, giving everyone a chance to finally participate in the clean energy future,” said Nadya Dutchin, of Groundswell.
Contact: Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

###

The Maryland Climate Coalition brings together environmental, faith, health, labor, and civic organizations to advance clean energy and climate policies in Maryland. For more information about the Maryland Climate Coalition, visit http://www.marylandclimatecoalition.org.

CCAN Applauds Attorneys General of Maryland, Virginia and DC For Joining First-of-its-Kind Climate Coalition

NEW YORK — The Attorneys General of Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. announced today that they are joining a first-of-its-kind coalition of state attorneys general to defend and push for more aggressive action on climate change.
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring joined a press conference this morning. At the event, the attorneys general of Massachusetts and the U.S. Virgin Islands indicated they are joining New York and California in investigating whether Exxon deliberately defrauded investors and the public by concealing climate science for decades. Frosh indicated he is considering joining by stating that ExxonMobil and other companies need to “tell the truth about climate change.” Herring said he will look at whether there are legal cases his office needs to be involved in.
Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response:
“We applaud Attorneys General Frosh, Herring and Racine for joining this unprecedented coalition and committing to put their legal muscle into aggressive climate action. Fossil fuel corporations, top among them ExxonMobil, have lied about climate change for years, and communities across our region are already seeing the consequences. After flooding our democracy with millions of dollars aimed at suppressing the truth, ExxonMobil’s pollution is now flooding our shorelines from Norfolk to Annapolis. These actions were clearly immoral and, as was found with Big Tobacco, likely illegal too.
“We are especially encouraged by Attorney General Frosh’s comments indicating that he is considering joining his colleagues in investigating Exxon. Brian Frosh has consistently championed climate action, and joining a probe of Exxon would be a natural next step. We urge Attorney General Mark Herring and Attorney General Racine to add their legal muscle to a joint investigation as well. Our region is fortunate to have three top law enforcement officials who recognize the urgency of climate change, and we urge them to use every tool at their disposal to act.”
Contact: Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

###

DC Decision to Approve Exelon-Pepco Merger Will Harm the Environment and Ratepayers For Years to Come

WASHINGTON, D.C — In a stunning decision, the D.C. Public Service Commission voted 2-1 today to rubber-stamp a widely opposed merger deal that allows Chicago-based utility giant Exelon to take over Pepco.
Commissioners Joanne Doddy Fort and Willie Phillips approved the deal, while Chairman Betty Ann Kane remained steadfast in her opposition, based on the fundamental conflict between Exelon’s failing business model and D.C.’s commitment to clean, affordable energy.
Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, released the following statement in response:
“This decision will go down in history as one of the worst ever by the D.C. PSC, and as a big setback for ratepayers and the environment across the District and Maryland. Commissioners Fort and Phillips have turned D.C. ratepayers over to a Chicago-based corporation interested only in propping up its own bottom line.
“The Commissioners’ approval of the Exelon-Pepco deal, after it had lost the support of every other major party from the mayor to the People’s Counsel, defies logic and shows a stunning lack of judgment. It also defies the overwhelming will of D.C. citizens, neighborhood, faith, small business, social justice, and environmental leaders. While Exelon lobbyists are cheering, DC residents must now brace for big rate hikes and new roadblocks to clean energy.
“Today’s ruling sharpens the need for a regionwide grassroots push for structural change in our energy policy and our politics. Exelon has a vested interest in protecting its aging nuclear fleet at all costs, including suppressing the growth of community-based clean energy and micro-grids. This merger will make it harder for DC — and Maryland — to fulfill official commitments to address climate change. But we are determined to fight harder than ever to protect our region’s clean energy progress, and to enact laws that keep Exelon from poisoning climate solutions along with our politics.”
For more information on the broad-based D.C. coalition that fought the Exelon-Pepco merger, see: http://www.powerdc.org.
Contact:
Mike Tidwell, 240-460-5838 (cell), mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 717-439-0346 (cell), kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

###