Category: Press Releases

WAMU reports Exelon hired FreshPAC chairman to lobby Mayor’s office days before ‘settlement’ was reached

See the article here: http://wamu.org/news/15/12/16/exelon_paid_freshpac_chair_to_lobby_DC_government_about_merger
Statement in response from Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network:

“I have never seen such a blatant appearance of political corruption in my entire career as a consumer and environmental advocate. The ‘P’ in FreshPAC stands for political. Exelon brazenly hired the chairman of the Mayor’s own political action committee to pressure the Mayor to knuckle under to a bad deal for consumers and the environment. This is absolutely outrageous. This is all about corrupt politics and consumer rip-off.
“This comes after the ‘soccergate’ scandal in September, when Pepco gave $25 million to the Mayor for vague naming rights related to her soccer stadium deal. This comes after Pepco and Exelon still refuse to confirm or deny whether the Mayor’s super PAC asked them to make direct political donations. It comes after the Mayor’s office pressured the federal General Services Administration to drop its opposition to the settlement. Now this.
“How shocking does this bad-government process have to become before the Mayor gains some pride and withdraws from this fraudulent ‘settlement’?”

More on the “Soccergate” scandal: http://www.powerdc.org/soccergate.html
More on the Mayor’s bad settlement deal: http://www.powerdc.org/settlement-facts.html
Contact:
Mike Tidwell, CCAN director, 240-460-5838
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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Innovative approach would help cities adapt and promote clean energy while reducing carbon pollution; action builds on current climate talks in Paris

NORFOLK—A bipartisan group of Virginia leaders gathered in Norfolk today to push for passage of comprehensive state legislation in the 2016 General Assembly to combat the local impacts of flooding and promote clean energy solutions. They highlighted the need for local action on climate change even as world leaders meet in Paris to bolster global commitments.
The bill, called the Virginia Coastal Protection Act, would generate about $250 million per year to invest in flood-protection measures, as well as energy efficiency, clean energy and job training programs. It would do so by adding Virginia to a regional market-based system that caps and reduces carbon pollution.
In recent months, city governments across the state—including Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Fredericksburg, and Staunton—and the Virginia Municipal League have endorsed the bill as a 2016 priority.
Republican State Delegate Ron Villanueva of Virginia Beach joined coastal city officials and the former commanding officer of Naval Station Norfolk for a waterside press conference this morning to announce introduction of the bill into the 2016 General Assembly with Democratic Senator Donald McEachin of Richmond.
“The Virginia Coastal Protection Act is the best path forward to protect flood-prone communities while combating climate change and growing our economy,” said Delegate Villanueva. “With so many homes, businesses, and military assets at risk from rising seas, the urgent need for action is clear. This bill unlocks hundreds of millions of dollars to kick-start practical solutions.”
“This year, I will be re-introducing legislation that will reduce carbon emissions while helping localities to combat flooding and impacts from sea level rise,” said Senator McEachin.
Some activists wore bright yellow rain boots to dramatize the struggle many coastal citizens already face in getting to work or school amidst high tides or heavy storms. Experts say the city of Norfolk alone needs $1 billion to adapt to encroaching waters. Severe weather events—such as heavy rainfall that washed out roadways in Southwest Virginia in late September—are causing increasingly costly damage across Virginia.
“It’s time to create the state’s first dedicated funding source to help localities along the coast and beyond deal with the impacts of climate change,” said Virginia Beach City Councilmember Rosemary Wilson, past president of the Virginia Municipal League and a current member of VML’s Legislative Committee. “This is a win-win policy with the support of cities across Virginia.”
The benefits of the bipartisan climate bill would extend far beyond flood protection. Under the legislation, Virginia would join a system called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) that has a track record of lowering greenhouse gas emissions while lowering utility bills in nine states from Maine to Maryland. Virginia would be poised to meet its requirements under the federal Clean Power Plan while gaining new revenue—about $250 million per year through 2030—to support climate resilience and economic development.
The Virginia Coastal Protection Act would direct a full half of the funds generated to help localities throughout the state combat flooding caused by sea-level rise and severe weather. The second-largest portion of funds would support energy efficiency programs that save consumers money. Additional funds would promote solar power and support jobs programs for families and businesses in Southwest Virginia.
Retired Navy Captain Joe Bouchard joined today’s press conference to urge the General Assembly to act on this comprehensive climate plan for another reason: national security.
“Virginia’s response to climate change impacts the readiness of the world’s largest Naval base,” said Bouchard, who is a former commanding officer of Naval Station Norfolk. “The Navy could spend hundreds of millions of dollars protecting the base from sea level rise; but it cannot function if the cities around it are crippled by rising waters.”
“Adapting to the impacts here now must go hand in hand with transitioning to clean energy solutions,” added Bouchard. “That is the Defense Department’s strategy, and it is the right strategy for Virginia, too.”
The Virginia Coastal Protection Act has gained a broad array of support since its original introduction in the 2015 General Assembly. The Virginia Housing Coalition, the Virginia Chapter of the American Association of Pediatrics, Virginia Organizing, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and all of Virginia’s statewide environmental groups have called for its passage. The editorial boards of the Virginian-Pilot, the Washington Post, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch have all penned pieces in support of its regional carbon-cutting approach.
“From Paris to Richmond, the actions we take now will determine how high the water goes and whether our communities are able to stay safe,” said Dawone Robinson, Virginia policy director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “In 2016, the General Assembly and Governor McAuliffe must take action. Virginia can do our part to lower emissions, in a way that saves consumers money, creates new jobs, and brings real resources to communities facing dangerous flooding now.”
A fact sheet on the Virginia Coastal Protection Act is available at: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2016-CCAN-VA-Coastal-Protection-Act-Factsheet.pdf
An overview of the benefits of Virginia joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is available at: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/VA-RGGI-Fact-Sheet-UPDATED-8.10.15.pdf
Contact:
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
Dawone Robinson, 804-767-0372, dawone@chesapeakeclimate.org

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2016 bill will expand wind and solar while creating good-paying jobs and a diverse clean energy workforce

ANNAPOLIS—As world leaders meet in Paris to marshal global climate action, top Maryland lawmakers came together in Annapolis today to unveil their plan to create the largest dedicated clean energy jobs and business development program in state history.
As part of 2016 legislation to significantly expand Maryland’s use of renewable electricity, Senate Majority Leader Catherine Pugh (D-Baltimore) and Delegate Dereck Davis (D-Prince George’s) are proposing a $40 million plan to train and prepare more Marylanders for careers in clean energy and to bolster minority- and women-owned businesses within the clean energy economy.
The lawmakers announced the plan, called the 2016 “Clean Jobs Act,” during a press conference on Lawyers’ Mall alongside Senator Rich Madaleno, Maryland small business, community college, and job training leaders, and climate advocates.
“Maryland needs to increase our renewable energy standard to 25 percent while putting in place funding to increase the diversity of business owners and workers,” said Sen. Pugh, who sits on the Senate Finance Committee. “The Clean Jobs Act will give more Marylanders the opportunity to thrive in the growing clean technology sector and put cities like Baltimore on the forefront of clean energy development.”
“2016 is the year to pass this ‘Clean Jobs Act’ for Maryland,” said Del. Davis, chair of the House Economic Matters Committee. “This bill will sustain an estimated 2,000 additional clean energy jobs right here in Maryland. The average Maryland solar installer earns nearly $23 per hour. Greater workforce development investments can direct those jobs where they’re needed most, while unlocking the full talent of our state’s clean energy entrepreneurs.”
Senator Brian Feldman and Delegate Bill Frick of Montgomery County are lead sponsors of the legislation to expand Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). Sen. Pugh and Del. Davis will join Senator Mac Middleton, chair of the Finance Committee, and Senator Rich Madaleno, vice-chair of the Budget and Taxation Committee, as co-sponsors of the bill in 2016.
“I’m proud to sponsor this legislation because addressing climate change and improving our economy go hand in hand,” said Sen. Brian Feldman. “It’s time to lock in Maryland as a leader in both.”
The legislation would ensure that Maryland gets 25 percent of its electricity from clean sources like wind and solar power by 2020, up from the state’s current goal of 20 percent by 2022. By creating incentives for roughly 1,300 megawatts of new clean energy, the bill would significantly improve Marylanders’ air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing rising sea levels, record storms, and increased flooding.
“Maryland’s solar industry now employs over 3,000 workers, and the industry expects to grow 26 percent this year, adding 750 more jobs,” said Del. Frick. “In 2016, it’s time to speed up this growth while providing better training to more Maryland workers.”
“Climate change solutions—like cleaner, more efficient energy—mean healthy air and healthy people who can go to work and support their families,” said Sen. Madaleno. “All Marylanders deserve clean air to live healthier and more meaningful lives.”
Maryland has met its existing renewable energy standard every year since the RPS program was first implemented in 2005. Maryland now ranks among the top solar states in the nation. Plummeting solar and wind prices and abundant, untapped renewable assets — from sunny rooftops to blustery Eastern Shore farmland — position the state to easily achieve a higher goal. Collectively, Maryland’s policies to address climate change are expected to create 26,000 to 33,000 new jobs and grow wages by tens of billions of dollars by 2020, according to state data.
The new workforce development plan within the RPS bill would tap $40 million of unallocated contributions to Maryland’s Strategic Energy Investment Fund. Part of the funding would provide pre-apprenticeship job training in the clean energy sector targeted to areas of the state with high unemployment. Bolstering existing job training programs at Maryland community colleges is one example of how the funds could be put to work.
Gregory Mason, Vice President of Business and Continuing Education at Baltimore City Community College, also spoke at today’s press conference: “Not only is more renewable energy critical to preserving our natural resources, but it also offers a foot in the door for our students to begin and advance careers within a well-paid, burgeoning industry.”
Additional funding would establish a Clean Energy Business Development Fund to help minority- and women-owned businesses enter and grow within the clean energy economy in Maryland.
“We started our business in Maryland in part because of its commitment to expanding clean energy technologies,” said Daniel Wallace, director of Technical Sales for BITHENERGY. “The Clean Jobs Act will significantly enhance the economic imperatives that are necessary for clean energy companies like ours to thrive and to create jobs.”
Today’s announcement adds to growing momentum for climate action in Maryland. Over the past year, legislation to expand Maryland’s RPS law gained support from a broad base of faith, labor, health, social justice, and environmental constituencies — including the NAACP, Maryland Working Families, SEIU, seven Maryland bishops and top ecumenical leaders. Meanwhile, in late October, the state’s bipartisan Climate Change Commission voted unanimously in support of extending and strengthening Maryland’s statutory goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“While world leaders gather in Paris at the biggest global climate summit of this decade, Maryland leaders are stepping up to put concrete solutions into motion,” said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and member of the Maryland Climate Coalition. “Our clean electricity standard is our state’s top program for reducing climate pollution. By increasing it, we can build a more just and sustainable economy while doing our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
A memo on the proposed $40 million workforce development plan is available at: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Maryland-Clean-Jobs-Plan-Workforce-and-MBE-Memo.pdf
A fact sheet on the benefits of expanding Maryland’s renewable energy standard is available at: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/MCC_Forward-with-Clean-Energy_25percent_120715.pdf
Photos from today’s press conference are available for use at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chesapeakeclimate/albums/72157661471776619

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

Baltimore, MD—Today, 72 groups, compelled by the mounting evidence of fracking’s negative effects, announced their call for a permanent, statewide ban on fracking in Maryland to protect public health, our air, water, climate and local business interests.
The organizations include a range of environmental, health, faith, labor and business groups including Food & Water Watch, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Maryland League of Conservation Voters, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East – Maryland/DC Division, National Nurses United, Waterkeepers Chesapeake, Interfaith Power & Light, Breast Cancer Action, The Harvest Collective, and the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Council.
A full list of groups and their call for a fracking ban can be found here: http://www.dontfrackmd.org/who-we-are
“It is impossible to ignore the mounting evidence showing that fracking poses severe health threats,” said Thomas Meyer, Maryland Organizer at Food & Water Watch. “On top of that, fracking could destroy Maryland’s growing sustainable economy; everything from tourism and recreation to farms and restaurants could be devastated by fracking. A two year moratorium is a good start, but in order to truly protect Maryland’s residents and economy, a complete ban is necessary.”
“Introducing industrial-scale gas development and fracking into the mountains of western Maryland is completely incompatible with what is primarily a tourism-based economy,” said Allegany County resident Dale Sams. “Fracking requires huge volumes of water, which will have to be extracted from our rivers and streams; and our narrow country roads and small bridges will be damaged by the thousands of heavy trucks used to haul drilling equipment and toxic waste. The only way to protect western Maryland from these impacts is to ban fracking.”
As a result of a broad-based, grassroots campaign, the Maryland General Assembly passed a two-year moratorium on fracking in 2015. The law went into effect last month and will prevent any drilling activity through October 2017. The same legislation, however, requires the Hogan administration to prepare regulations for drilling. Those regulations would go into effect as soon as the moratorium expires, unless the state takes further action.
A growing body of peer-reviewed evidence finds that fracking simply cannot be done without risk to public health and the environment—and that regulations are not capable of preventing harm. A recent overview of more than 500 peer-reviewed studies by Concerned Health Professionals of New York and Physicians for Social Responsibility points to “a plethora of … harms that cannot be averted or cannot be sufficiently averted through regulatory frameworks.”
“Study after study shows that fracking quickens the march toward climate disaster,” said Shilpa Joshi, Maryland Campaign Coordinator for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “If we’re going to keep our coastal cities above water and keep our farms from drying out, then we must start keeping fossil fuels, including gas, in the ground. Maryland can lead the way by banning fracking permanently and focusing 100% on clean energy solutions that protect our health and climate while creating good-paying jobs. ”
“Marylanders’ livelihoods and health depend on pure water, healthy soil, and clean air and would be forever damaged if hydraulic fracturing is allowed in Western Maryland,” said Waterkeepers Chesapeake Executive Director Betsy Nicholas. “There are already too many instances of how this highly industrial, polluting process of fracking has had dramatic and irreversible negative impacts on local water resources in states like Pennsylvania and West Virginia.”
Concerns over the long-term health impacts of fracking continue to mount. Last month, a study led by researchers at John’s Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found an association between a mother’s exposure to drilling and fracking activity during pregnancy and birth outcomes. The study found that the likelihood of preterm births were 40 percent higher among women living in areas with the most intense drilling and fracking operations compared to women with the lowest exposure level. Women living in heavy drilling areas during pregnancy were also more likely to have high-risk pregnancies, as reported by their healthcare provider.
“Viable alternatives to fracking are undeniably much more in the public’s interest and safer for human health and our environment,“ said Stephen Shaff, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Council. “From a business perspective, clean energy is where the greatest opportunities exist. Fracking is a boom and bust industry, and allowing this sort of destructive energy practice could damage truly sustainable economic development, while benefitting only a few.”
“We see no evidence that drilling for shale gas can be effectively regulated,” said Paul Roberts, Board President of Citizen Shale. “As the state’s longest-standing community organization seeking protections from the industry’s impacts, we find that a growing body of data strongly suggests fracking is dangerous to humans and the environment. Furthermore, it remains unknown whether fracking can provide economic benefits to the majority of local citizens or to the state. We look forward to completion of a fair and impartial analysis, funded by the county and federal government, of fracking’s potential affects on western Maryland’s tourism-based economy.”
“As a young farmer in western Maryland, I would inherit incredible suffering if fracking were permitted,” said Kim Alexander, Garrett County resident and member of The Harvest Collective. “Fracking would fracture our farms with toxic chemicals, fill the air with cancerous fumes, and permanently destroy our water. Maryland must ban fracking so we can continue to provide clean food, water, and sustainable energy solutions.”
“In addition to threatening the health and safety of Marylanders, fracking would also require more pipelines and compressor stations, which would bring yet more hazards to communities and tie us to fracked gas for at least 50 years,” said Elisabeth Hoffman, representing Howard County Climate Change. “We don’t have the luxury of time to avert climate chaos—we must act now. Maryland should ban fracking and move as quickly as possible away from dirty fossil fuels and toward clean energy and conservation.”
Contacts:
Shilpa Joshi, 240-396-2029, shilpa@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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DC leaders question role of stadium land deal and pay-to-play politics in reviving $6.8 billion Exelon takeover

WASHINGTON, D.C.—DC community leaders called today for a formal probe of “soccergate” questions surrounding Mayor Muriel Bowser’s recent decision to reverse course and revive a $6.8 billion utility company merger between Pepco Holdings and Chicago-based Exelon.
On October 6—just days after striking a $25 million sponsorship deal with Pepco to pave the way for the future DC United soccer stadium—the mayor struck an 11th-hour deal with Exelon to advance its merger bid. The DC Public Service Commission had unanimously rejected the merger on August 25, and Mayor Bowser backed the commission’s decision at the time.
This morning, community leaders “followed the money” to the site of the planned stadium to demand a city investigation of the timing and nature of the mayor’s deal with Pepco. During a press conference, public interest groups released a letter calling on the District Board of Ethics and Government Accountability to “evaluate these two high-stakes situations to ensure that there was no impropriety, collusion, or unethical conduct of any kind.” The groups, Public Citizen and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, also issued a Freedom of Information Act Request for all internal correspondence between the mayor’s office, Pepco and Exelon regarding the controversial negotiations.
“DC residents deserve to know if pay-to-play politics or quid pro quos played any role in advancing this massive corporate merger,” said Craig Holman, PhD, an ethics expert and Government Affairs Lobbyist at the consumer watchdog group Public Citizen. “If the mayor has nothing to hide, then we expect she’ll support this investigation and help clear the air.”
These latest developments come in the wake of scrutiny over Mayor Bowser’s super PAC—called “FreshPAC”—and the role of pay-to-play politics in her administration. In a radio interview last Friday, DC Attorney General Karl Racine said that Exelon and Pepco should disclose whether FreshPAC asked them for money while the merger was being considered.
“Among the lengthy list of reasons why this is horrendous for District ratepayers, the mayor’s merger deal, at its core, reeks the stench of corruption and scandal,” said Sherice Muhammad, chairperson of the Ward 7D Advisory Neighborhood Commission. “There’s nothing in the deal to protect DC residents from rate hikes or job losses. Is that because Mayor Bowser had interests other than the public’s in mind? A deal that’s ‘good for DC,’ should have involved DC residents through its ANCs and civic associations, not in some back room. We want answers.”
Exelon and Pepco are spending millions of dollars in ad and lobby money to pressure the DC Public Service Commission to reverse its rejection of the merger. The PSC recently agreed to review the Bowser-Exelon settlement deal on an expedited two-month timeline, including a public hearing on November 17. The deal has been widely criticized for failing to address the merger’s fundamental threats to DC, including higher electric bills, loss of local control, and stalled progress on clean energy.
“Back-room dealing, high-priced lobbying, and shock-and-awe advertising is typical of how Exelon gets its way all over the country,” said Tim Judson, executive director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service. “If the PSC lets this merger go through, we can kiss the promise of open, accountable government in DC goodbye.”
Ultimately, community leaders said a range of steps should be taken to ensure a fair and transparent review of the current Pepco-Exelon merger and future proposals like it:

• The District Board of Ethics and Government Accountability should launch an independent investigation into the “soccergate” questions and report on its findings before the PSC closes the record for its expedited merger review on December 18.
• The Office of the Mayor should immediately release all internal correspondence related to the Pepco land swap agreement, Akridge property, DC United stadium, and potential naming rights and/or sponsorships for Pepco.
• The District Council should establish an independent People’s Council position that is not appointed by the major. Notably, the District People’s Counsel Sandra Mattavous-Frye, who had been one of the most stalwart opponents of the merger, endorsed the mayor’s settlement just weeks before Mayor Bowser reappointed her to another term.

“Where there’s smoke, there’s almost always fire,” said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “The stakes for DC ratepayers, our clean energy future, and our democracy are too high to look the other way. We need an independent investigation of the facts and we need it now.”

• View the letter sent today to the District Board of Ethics and Government Accountability: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Pepco-Exelon-Bowser-BEGA-Investigation-Request.pdf
• View the Freedom of Information Act Request sent today to the Office of the Mayor: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/FOIA-Request-for-Bowser-Pepco-Exelon-Stadium-Correspondence.pdf
• Power DC fact sheet on why Mayor Bowser’s merger settlement deal is still fundamentally harmful to DC: http://www.powerdc.org/settlement-fact-sheet.html 
• Infographic on the web of influence surrounding the Bowser-Pepco “Soccergate” questions: http://www.citizen.org/documents/bowser-pepco-exelon-web-of-influence.pdf

Contact:
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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