To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Reduce Costs, Maryland Commission on Climate Change Recommends All-Electric New Construction by 2024

Commission’s Building Energy Transition Plan Takes an Important Step
Toward Reducing Emissions from the State’s Building Sector

Baltimore, MD — The Maryland Commission on Climate Change has released its 2021 Annual Report and Building Energy Transition Plan, which recommends that all new construction in the state meet water and space heating demands with all-electric appliances no later than 2024. The Commission found that all-electric new homes have lower construction and energy costs than mixed-fuel homes and therefore this recommendation would help improve housing affordability and local air quality while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Maryland. 

Importantly, the Commission also calls on legislators to retrofit 100% of low-income households by 2030. Low-income customers in Maryland are already paying unsustainably high energy bills. The average annual energy burden for low-income Maryland households is 13 percent, according to a 2018 report commissioned by the Office of People’s Counsel.1 That is more than twice the threshold for a high energy burden, which researchers define as 6 percent.  (See the Commission’s recommendations.)

In response to the Commission’s recommendation, Anne Havemann, General Counsel at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network,  issued the following statement:

“Burning fossil fuels in homes, apartment buildings, and commercial buildings in the state accounted for 13 percent of Maryland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2017. While we wish the report had gone further in certain respects, it contains some ambitious and necessary steps that will help the state begin to confront a large source of greenhouse gas emissions. 

“When you’re in a hole, stop digging. The report’s all-electric new construction recommendation is a sensible first step in the building electrification transition that prevents us from making the problem worse. Moreover, all-electric new buildings typically have the lowest construction and operating costs and can actually help improve housing affordability while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. An all-electric new construction requirement is a win for the climate and your wallet.” 

As customers transition off the gas system, gas rates will increase as costs will be distributed between fewer customers. Without intervention, low-income customers without the upfront capital to switch to electric appliances will be left paying even higher energy bills. For this reason, the Commission found it to be “critical that the state assist households with high energy burden to transition off the gas system before gas rates increase beyond current levels.”

Havemann’s statement continued:

“We agree with the Commission that it is critical to retrofit 100 percent of low-income households by 2030. Low-income Marylanders are already faced with unsustainably high energy bills, paying on average 13 percent of their income on energy bills when six percent is the threshold. As Marylanders transition off of gas and the rate base shrinks, gas bills will go up. Without deliberate policy design, we risk making the energy-burden problem worse for our low-income residents.

“We call on the General Assembly to follow the Commission’s recommendations and pass an all-electric new construction requirement in the 2022 legislative session. Further, local governments don’t need to wait for the General Assembly before taking action. To tackle climate change and lower costs, local governments can and should pass their own all-electric new construction requirements.” 

The Maryland Commission on Climate Change is chaired by Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles and its mission is to advise the governor and General Assembly on strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change. The Building Energy Transition Plan is the result of multiple years of work from members of the Commission’s Buildings Sub-group.

Further reading:

Electrify Maryland: The Movement for Green Buildings in Maryland

Congratulations to Baltimore for Divesting from Fossil Fuels

On October 5th, Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) signed new legislation mandating that the city’s three employee retirement pension funds divest from the fossil fuel industry. This landmark bill, sponsored by City Councilmember Mark Conway (D), will compel those funds to stop investing in the world’s top 100 coal and the top 100 oil and gas publicly-traded reserve holders, ranked by the potential carbon emissions of their reported reserves, within the next 5 years.

“We’d like to thank City Councilmember Conway for his leadership in Baltimore’s divestment from fossil fuels. By sponsoring the mandate that city pensions stop investing in oil and gas as well as introducing a resolution to make Baltimore carbon-neutral by 2050, Conway has set the stage for additional proposals that would require the city government to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and transition the entire municipal vehicle fleet to electric vehicles by 2040. Congratulations to Mayor Scott and his entire team for this tremendous step forward!” 

— Mike Tidwell, Executive Director, CCAN Action Fund

Baltimore’s new divestment strategy puts Charm City at the forefront among municipalities across America – including New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Pittsburgh – that are moving away from investments in oil and gas stocks, bonds, and other financial vehicles associated with “dirty energy.”

For the full story, see Baltimore Mayor Signs Bill Mandating City Pension Funds Divest From Fossil Fuels, Maryland Matters | Oct. 5, 2021.

VA Department of Environmental Quality Finalizes C4GT Gas Power Plant Cancellation

VA Department of Environmental Quality Finalizes C4GT Gas Power Plant Cancellation

Activists celebrate after leading a years-long campaign to stop C4GT, turn efforts to other dangerous fossil-fuel projects moving forward

Charles City, VA — After years of activists campaigning to stop the C4GT Gas Power Plant, the developing company, NOVI Energy, announced its move to cancel the proposed project a month ago. Finally, this past weekend the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) made the cancellation official when the DEQ Deputy Regional Director signed the mutual determination letter that officially shuts down the project.

Sited next to an environmental justice community, less than a mile from a second proposed fracked gas power plant, the C4GT proposal faced enormous community opposition from the outset. The directly impacted group of residents leading the fight against the project, Concerned Citizens of Charles City County (C5), joined the Stop the Abuse of Virginian Energy (SAVE) coalition to protest the project, and build grassroots opposition to the proposal. Primary concerns included the lack of any meaningful public engagement in the process, and the DEQ’s green-lighting the project despite the developers’ failure to construct at the site within their legal window.

Ultimately, a FOIA request by SAVE Coalition member Food & Water Watch found that the DEQ had the legal ability to cancel C4GT’s air permits and cancel the project — indeed they had already drafted a letter revoking the permits. A few weeks later, the company behind the project withdrew.

Now that the C4GT project is officially terminated, activists turn their attention to the similarly dangerous Chickahominy Power Station and Chickahominy Pipeline proposals, still moving forward in Charles City County.

“Our community won when the developer was unable to continue with the destructive proposed C4GT power plant,” said Wanda Roberts, an impacted resident and member of Concerned Citizens of Charles City County. “We will continue to fight to stop the Chickahominy Power Plant and pipeline. There is no need or necessity for gas power plants to be built in Virginia.”

“The termination of the C4GT fracked gas project is a victory for grassroots climate organizing in Virginia,” said Jolene Mafnas, Virginia Organizer with Food & Water Watch. “Virginians statewide are rising up against the fracked gas and pipelines that endlessly crop up in our backyards. The age of fracked gas is over in Virginia — it’s time to double down on true clean, renewable energy and stop the buildout of fossil fuel infrastructure. Governor Northam must direct his agencies to terminate the Chickahominy power plant and pipeline, just like C4GT.”

“The cancellation of the C4GT power plant is yet another sign that Virginia is leaving behind costly and hazardous fracked gas infrastructure,” said Lauren Landis, Chesapeake Climate Action Network’s Hampton Roads Coordinate, “The argument for similar projects is untenable and community organizers will not stop until they all reach the same fate as C4GT.

“Another hard won victory for the Charles City County Community, the state and the nation in keeping dangerous fossil fuel operations from contributing to climate change and ultimately destroying our lives,” said Lynn Godfrey, Sierra Club’s Community Outreach Coordinator. “Salute to the grassroots efforts of the community organizers in Charles City!”

“Environmental justice begins and ends with communities. The cancellation of the C4GT power plant is a testament to the dedication of the Concerned Citizens of Charles City County and all the grassroots advocates who have supported them in this fight,” said Taylor Lilley, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Environmental Justice Staff Attorney. “CBF is honored to work with the people of Charles City in opposing projects that threaten the environment and public health.”

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Contact: Beth Kreydatus, c5groupinform@gmail.com, 757-561-3824

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Morgantown Coal Plant to Retire in 2022, Five Years Earlier Than Previously Announced

Friday, June 11, 2021Contact: 

Alex Amend, alex.amend@sierraclub.org

ANNAPOLIS — Earlier this week, GenOn Holdings, Inc. announced that it plans to retire units 1 and 2 at the Morgantown Generating Station by June 2022, five years earlier than the company previously announced late last year. 

For 50 years, working families in Charles County have been made to bear the economic, environmental, and public health costs of living next to a dirty polluting coal plant, which continues to be a significant source of toxic water pollution and smog-forming pollution. The retirement of Morgantown will help put an end to GenOn’s discharges of arsenic, selenium, and mercury into the Potomac, as well as emissions of harmful sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Small peaking units that burn oil and run infrequently will remain online.

The company attributed the decision to retire Morgantown on an accelerated timeline to “unfavorable economic conditions” and the cost to properly bring the plant into compliance with federal environmental laws. Ever more affordable clean energy generation and the pressing need to address the climate crisis have helped drive the coal industry’s decline nationwide. 

GenOn also announced the retirements of Avon Lake Generating Station, located in Ohio, and Cheswick Generating Station, located in Pennsylvania. 

Reuben Collins, II, Esq, Charles County Commissioner President, released the following statement:

“The announcement that GenOn will accelerate its retirement of the coal burning sections of the plant brings final closure to a past era of reliance on fossil fuels. Our community is committed to cleaner energy and developing a path forward that protects our environment while opening the door to an enhanced quality of life for our residents. We will work closely with GenOn to safely close it down and develop a remediation plan that will provide opportunities for future revitalization of this extraordinary waterfront location in Charles County.”

Dyotha Sweat, Charles County NAACP Chair, released the following statement: 

“Morgantown once received a D letter grade from the NAACP in the Coal Blooded report for its abysmal environmental record, so we’re thrilled to see the closure even earlier than scheduled. Now, we can start the healing process and begin rebuilding a healthier and cleaner source of economic activity in our county that will truly benefit us all. With the early closure, we want to ensure that environmental justice includes proper clean up of the Morgantown facility and most importantly, proper employment transition for the employees affected.”

Dean Naujoks, the Potomac Riverkeeper at Potomac Riverkeeper Network, released the following statement:

“The Morgantown plant has been discharging selenium, mercury and arsenic to the Potomac River for decades, poisoning fish and people. Closing Morgantown’s coal units will be good for the river and communities nearby, but we need to make sure that any closure plan includes requirements to clean up legacy contamination at Morgantown that could continue to pollute the environment long after it’s closed.” 

David Smedick, Senior Campaign Representative of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign released the following statement: 

“Today, we celebrate with the community leaders who fought against coal pollution for decades. This news means five fewer years of burning coal and polluting our air and water. However, this accelerated time frame underscores yet again the urgency of having a transition plan in place for workers and communities that have depended on the plant’s revenues and that have borne the brunt of harmful pollution for decades. Companies like GenOn can decide when it is most advantageous for their bottom line to pull the plug on a plant. Policymakers have vanishingly few excuses to establish a timely transition plan off coal and to clean energy that supports our communities, protects residents from further pollution burden, and promotes good union jobs for impacted workers.”

Leah Kelly, Senior Attorney with the Environmental Integrity Project, released the following statement:

“The coal units at the Morgantown plant have been discharging toxic pollutants into the air and water for decades. GenOn’s decision to retire these burners earlier than expected is good news for nearby communities and the climate. Now Maryland and the U.S. government need to find a way to fast-track the development of industries like offshore wind that can provide clean energy and good-paying jobs.”

Anne Havemann, General Counsel, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, released the following statement:

“This announcement is very good news for the people who live near the coal plant who have been living with pollution from this plant for far too long. It’s also good news for the climate. Last month, we learned that the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere reached the highest levels in human history. We must implement a just transition to clean energy immediately to avoid the worst impacts from the climate crisis we’re in.”

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About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person’s right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.

New Study: Invasive Vines Could Kill Nearly 5,000 Trees in Takoma Park, MD Within 5-7 Years

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2021
Contact: 
Mike Tidwell, CCAN director, 240-460-5838, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org
Laura Cofsky, CCAN, 571-275-6696, laura@chesapeakeclimate.org

Groundbreaking study has possible national implications while calling for immediate, commonsense rescue actions from the local City government and volunteers.

TAKOMA PARK, MD – In what may be the first tree survey of its kind in the nation, an invasive plant specialist in February walked all 36 miles of the streets and adjacent areas of Takoma Park, MD looking for non-native vines. What he found was startling. He directly identified nearly 5,000 trees in the city being overwhelmed by invasive vines like English Ivy. 

The startling results in a small city known to highly value its tree canopy could signal that the scale of invasive vine destruction nationwide is far beyond previous assumptions. The study also identifies relatively low-resource, commonsense solutions to the problem. Most of the trees in the survey can be saved in 5-10 minutes by volunteers using common garden clippers and pruning saws.

The survey, conducted in February 2021 and commissioned by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), found that a total 4,850 trees were so invested with climbing vines that they could die within 5-7 years. The large majority of affected trees were more than 20 years old and some were beyond a century in age. Trees play a huge role in sequestering carbon dioxide, cooling urban neighborhoods, and beautifying property. 

“We knew non-native invasive vines were a big problem for Takoma Park trees, but we were still shocked by the findings in this study,” said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Put together, 5,000 trees in an urban setting can cover acres of land and, if lost, represent a huge amount of money, comfort, and climate benefits.” 

The report was conducted by native plant specialist Jesse Buff of Takoma Park. It points out that planting 5,000 new trees and protecting them to the age of several decades – and some for over a century – would be a fantastically expensive undertaking for the city. Yet saving the same number of trees currently dying in plain sight from invasive vines would cost little beyond educating citizens and supporting local volunteer efforts already underway to eradicate invasive vines. 

Last summer, volunteers organized by CCAN in Takoma Park eradicated deadly vines on over 700 trees in the city. Now the group is launching a weekly Saturday morning program where volunteers sign up to “adopt” between 10 and 100 trees in the city for rescue. 

The CCAN survey cataloged the exact location of troubled trees on residential, commercial, and park property. Volunteers will be given addresses and asked to set out to meet with homeowners and business owners to encourage them to eradicate the vines themselves using quick, simple methods. Or property owners can elect to have volunteers do it for them. By autumn, the goal is to have rescued all 4,850 trees in the city.

CCAN hopes the Takoma Park survey and volunteer system will become a model for other city, county and state programs nationwide to save affected trees. And again, you can read the full report here. Volunteers can get involved by signing up here and visiting this website. 

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. For nearly 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Virginia Natural Gas Files to Withdraw Their Application for the Interconnect Project

For Immediate Release: March 23, 2021
Contact: Laura Cofsky, laura@chesapeakeclimate.org, 202-642-9336

VNG concludes the Interconnect Project is “no longer needed”


Richmond, VA — This weekend, Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) filed a motion to withdraw its proposal to build the Interconnect Project, which would have built high pressure fracked gas pipelines in Prince William and Fauquier counties as well as a new compressor station in Prince William county.

VNG had planned to build the Interconnect in Northern Virginia primarily based off of plans from a previously cancelled project called the Header Improvement Project (HIP). HIP was meant to service the controversial C4GT gas plant in Charles City County, which came under heavy criticism from activists for its reckless permit avoidance. Ultimately, VNG was unable to prove that C4GT had secured adequate financing, and HIP was cancelled.

In this weekend’s motion to withdraw, VNG cited that the buyer’s need had changed, rendering the Interconnect Project “no longer needed as proposed.” This is the second Virginia pipeline this month to face an uphill battle to viability, in the face of extensive grassroots opposition and shifting financial incentives. To complete the withdrawal process, the State Corporation Commission will need to formally accept VNG’s motion to withdraw.

“This is exciting news for Prince William residents and Virginians across the state fighting fossil fuel developments,” said Chesapeake Climate Action Network Northern Virginia Organizer Zander Pellegrino. “This decision proves what we already know to be true: that organizing works and that new fossil fuel projects do not make sense. In order to keep our communities safe and ecosystems healthy, we need to end fossil fuel development and fund a just transition in Virginia.”

“The Interconnect Project was Virginia Natural Gas’ attempt to shoehorn part of the already failed Header Improvement Project into a new dirty fracked gas proposal,” said Food & Water Watch Virginia Organizer Jolene Mafnas. “We have been fighting this dangerous and unnecessary proposal for months. If approved, Interconnect would have emitted toxic pollutants and cut through Prince William’s Rural Crescent — we are hopeful this will be the end of this terrible plan. As we celebrate this victory, we double down on our work to ensure that state agencies investigate other dirty fossil fuel projects like C4GT’s problematic permit avoidance.”

“We’re so happy to see them withdraw,” said Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions Prince William County Hub Community Organizer Sashia Scott. “As a faith based-organization, this project would have violated the moral responsibility we encourage: good stewardship over the earth and those that inhabit it.”

“We are celebrating yet another failed fracked gas project that was doomed before even starting,” said Mothers Out Front Northern Virginia Community Organizer Tiziana Bottino. “The families that would have been affected are breathing a huge sigh of relief knowing this unnecessary project will not threaten them any longer, but we are left to wonder how many more failed fossil fuel proposals it will take before those companies realize a just clean energy transition is not only economically feasible, but necessary.” 

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. For nearly 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

State-Based Energy Groups: Congress Must Pass Biden’s 100% Clean Electricity Standard Now

Nonprofits active in every region of the country say renewable power mandate is key to solving climate change, creating new jobs, and addressing equity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, March 22, 2021

Contact: Laura Cofsky, laura@chesapeakeclimate.org, 202-642-9336

Mike Tidwell, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org, 240-460-583

WASHINGTON, DC — Six of the nation’s best-known groups fighting climate change at the state and regional levels today asked Congress to quickly pass President Biden’s proposal for 100% clean electricity nationwide by 2035. Such a measure, the groups say, would dramatically build on proven local successes in using clean-energy mandates to create jobs, clean the air, and fight climate change.

As a candidate, Joe Biden pledged to quickly enact legislation mandating that all the nation’s electricity be carbon-pollution free by the year 2035. That legislative vote will likely come before Congress soon – sometime this spring. 

In a letter to House and Senate leaders today, the regional leaders said such a policy was “vital” in the fight against global warming while rebuilding the US economy with environmental justice. Read the letter here.

The six signatory groups are active in 27 states whose populations, collectively, exceed 155 million people. 

Said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, one of the signatory groups: 

“Congress, right now, must build on state-based successes in advancing wind and solar and other clean electricity sources. Joe Biden’s 100%-by-2035 plan will have a global impact while capitalizing on these state-based track records. We’ve already created 2.5 million jobs using similar policies in regions from New England to the Pacific Northwest and from the Chesapeake Bay to the Rocky Mountains. It’s now time for Congress to make 100% clean electricity our national policy.” 

Groups signing today’s letter to Congress are: 

  • Chesapeake Climate Action Network – Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, D.C.
  • Climate Solutions – Oregon, Washington
  • Southern Alliance for Clean Energy – Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi
  •  Acadia Center – Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York
  • Western Resources Advocates – Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
  • Fresh Energy – Minnesota

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. For nearly 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Climate and Policy Experts Agree: America Can Achieve Biden’s Goal of 100% Clean Electricity by 2035

During one of the earliest sneak peeks into Biden’s plan, experts laid out the political hurdles and roadmap to pass one of the most ambitious climate plans in America’s history

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, February 24, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC — Against the backdrop of a brand-new administration and Congress, renowned climate and policy experts today argued that President Joe Biden’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035 is not only crucial, but doable and economically sound.

Here’s a link to the webinar recording (Passcode: vTS%65^2).

The five experts who came together to speak at a February 24th webinar entitled “Path to 100%” included Dr. Leah Stokes of Evergreen Action and UC Santa Barbara, Economist Dr. Stephanie Kelton of Stony Brook University and author of “The Deficit Myth”, renowned climate scientist Dr. Michael Mann of Penn State University, Federal Policy Associate Quentin Scott of Chesapeake Climate Action Network and CCAN Action Fund, and Johnathan Williams of Sunrise Movement.

The panel confirmed that, even after four years of Donald Trump, it is not too late to stop climate change. They also agreed that budget deficits should not impede the nation’s ability to take drastic action, right now. And even with a divided Congress, the experts argued that there are still many ways to pass all kinds of ambitious environmental legislation.

President Biden campaigned on a platform of 100% clean electricity by 2035. That goal is at the core of his $1.9 trillion promise to fight climate change with new jobs and environmental justice. Now, leading climate policy experts and advocates are calling on Congress to fulfill that promise by including a federal Clean Electricity Standard in the “Build Back Better” infrastructure package. The package is expected to be introduced in late spring or early summer, and would likely need to pass through reconciliation.

The United Nations has emphasized that countries only have a decade to stop the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. Even now, the U.S. is increasingly getting ravaged by major storms that are destroying entire cities and causing rolling state-wide blackouts. Meanwhile, across the globe, pollution accounts for one in five deaths.

The webinar was sponsored by Chesapeake Climate Action Network, CCAN Action Fund, and Evergreen Action. You can watch a recording of the webinar here (passcode: vTS%65^2).

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. For nearly 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Contact: Laura Cofsky, laura@chesapeakeclimate.org, 202-642-9336

Annapolis Sues Big Oil for Climate Fraud and Damages

City Becomes the First State Capital and 25th U.S. Community to Take Big Oil Companies to Court for Lying About Their Role in Climate Change

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 23, 2021

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The City of Annapolis last night filed a lawsuit seeking to hold major oil and gas companies accountable for lying to the public about their products’ role in climate change and to recover costs associated with sea-level rise, flooding, and other local climate damages that the companies knew their products would cause. 

Annapolis joins 24 other states and localities, including the City of Baltimore, that have turned to the courts to hold companies like Exxon, Chevron, Shell, and BP accountable for ongoing efforts to lie to the public about their role in causing climate change. It is also the fourth community — after Minnesota, Delaware, and Hoboken, New Jersey — to name the American Petroleum Institute as a defendant. 

Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, released the following statement: 

“Big Oil knew their products would cause catastrophic climate damages decades ago. Instead of doing the right thing, they continued to lie about it while communities like Annapolis are paying the price. The city’s leaders should be applauded for working to ensure that their residents aren’t stuck with the bill to protect themselves from a problem that Big Oil knowingly caused. 

Richard Wiles, executive director of the Center for Climate Integrity, released the following statement: 

“With this lawsuit, Annapolis joins a growing number of communities across the United States that are turning to the courts to demand that Big Oil companies be held accountable for lying about their leading role in causing climate change. Just like Big Tobacco — another industry that lied to the public to protect their profits — Big Oil should pay for the damage they knew their products would cause.” 

Contact: 

Background on Climate Liability Cases:

Since 2017, 25 communities, including the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Rhode Island; the District of Columbia, and more than a dozen city and county governments in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, and Washington have brought lawsuits under different claims to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for deceiving the public about climate change. Learn about those cases here.

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. For nearly 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

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The Center for Climate Integrity, a project of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, launched in 2017 to educate the public and policymakers about the massive costs of coping with the damage attributable to global warming and to support efforts to make climate polluters pay their fair share.

For more information on what ExxonMobil and others in the industry knew about climate change and when, check out the Center for Climate Integrity’s “Smoking Guns” document archive or visit PayUpClimatePolluters.org.

New Patrick Gonzales Poll: Montgomery County Voters Are Highly Concerned About Climate Change and Want Major Action Soon, Especially on Solar Power

More than 75 Percent of Voters Say They Want a Concrete Plan, Within Six Months, that Will Lead to “Major” Pollution Cuts. Nearly 69 Percent Support Solar Power on Farmland With a Cap.

ROCKVILLE, MD – A bi-partisan majority of Montgomery County voters in Maryland say they are personally concerned about the rising impacts of climate change, with a whopping 94 percent of Democrats expressing concern. In a new poll released today,  voters also say they are eager to see the County Council keep a 2017 promise by adopting — within six months — a plan that will lead to “major pollution cuts.” As a first step, nearly 69 percent of voters countywide support a bill now before the Council to allow a limited number of solar farms on agricultural land in the northern part of the county. 

The poll, conducted by noted Maryland pollster Patrick Gonzales, comes just one day after Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich released a long-awaited Draft Climate Action Plan for the county. It includes a host of recommendations but no concrete legislative plan to achieve pollution reductions. 

“This poll clearly shows enormous voter support for climate action in Montgomery County — but also growing impatience with the pace of action, “ said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “The County Executive and Council must do more, and soon, to keep pace with voter expectations as extreme weather pummels our region.”

The Gonzales poll, commissioned by CCAN, shows that a strong 70 percent of Montgomery voters support the County Council’s 2017 declaration of a “climate emergency.” That declaration called for an 80% reduction in climate pollution by 2027, but the Council has adopted no major bills to make this happen in three years. Now 75.1 percent of voters want major action within six months.

More immediately, voters overwhelmingly support a bill, passed by a committee of the County Council last summer, to place a limited number of solar farms in the County’s Agricultural Reserve with certain conditions. But full passage of the bill has not yet occurred. Interestingly, the greatest voter support for the bill comes from the County’s District 1 which contains most of the Ag Reserve.

The poll was conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services from December 2nd through December 6th, 2020. A total of 325 registered voters in Montgomery County, who indicated that they vote regularly in county elections, were queried by live telephone interviewers, utilizing both landlines and cell phones. The margin of error, per accepted statistical standards, is a range of plus or minus 5.5 percentage points.

“This is a noteworthy poll for Montgomery County with strong results on policy questions,” said Patrick Gonzales. “We asked clear and direct questions that help fill in some of the voter opinion gaps that always exist on key issues, especially at the more local level.”

For the past 35 years, Patrick Gonzales has been widely recognized in Maryland for his ability to conduct unbiased surveys, and analyze the results in an impartial, even-handed manner.

A recap of key findings from the report include:

  • Eighty three percent of voters in Montgomery County are concerned about climate change
  • By party, 94% of Democrats; 69% of independents; and 51% of Republicans are worried about global warming
  • Closer to home, 70% of residents support the resolution the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed in 2017 declaring a climate change emergency
  • Further, a supermajority 75% of Montgomery County voters support the County Council adopting a climate solution plan within the next 6 months
  • Nearly 69 percent supported a limited number of solar farms in the County’s Agricultural Reserve as long as most of the solar energy powers the homes of low and moderate income residents of the county

Further breakdowns by age, gender, race, district, and political party can all be found within the report. You can download it here.

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. For 17 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Contact:
Mike Tidwell, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org, 240-460-5838
Laura Cofsky, CCAN, laura@chesapeakeclimate.org, 202-642-9336