This past Tuesday was a pretty big day for the Smart Energy Now Campaign, our latest legislative effort to assure Maryland’s Clean Energy future.
Over in Annapolis, Delegates Manno and Hecht’s comprehensive energy planning bill, HB 522 had its big hearing before the Economic Matters Committee. The legislation aims to keep the state on track towards its long term clean energy and environmental policy goals by requiring the Maryland Public Service Commission to approach long term energy planning and short term energy decision making in a way that is consistent with those goals. Though it faced predictable opposition from the utilities, and unfortunate and misplaced opposition from the PSC, the bill emerged from the hearing no worse from the wear after receiving a solid series of endorsements in testimony from a variety of allies including the League of Conservation Voters, and the Maryland Energy Administration to name a few.
Overall, the hearing was a good start to bill’s journey through the House, but with a number of legislators still on the fence, there’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure the bill makes it out of committee.
To help with this effort, Grassroots activists gathered at a town hall meeting in Burtonsville Tuesday to demonstrate their support for HB 522 and encourage the support of local Economic Matters Committee members including Delegate Brian Feldman and Herman Taylor. Feldman was a no show, but Taylor sent a representative, Chris Bradbury, who announced the Delegate’s strong support for the bill to enthusiastic applause from the audience. Legislative District 14 Delegate Anne Kaiser also attended to discuss the need for strong clean energy policies in Maryland. Other speakers including me, Gary Skulnik of Clean Currents, and Reuven Walder of EcoBeco engaged the audience in a discussion about ways that we can individually and collectively ensure a clean, affordable and reliable energy economy for Maryland.
The Burtonsville THM was the first of a string of five Smart Energy Now THMs that are taking place throughout Maryland through the first week of March. Other venues include Largo (Prince George’s County) next Tuesday the 23rd, Glen Burnie on March 3rd, and Baltimore and Salsibury on the 7th. The events are so located to build support in the districts of key members of the Economic Matters Committee, including the lynchpin himself Chairman Dereck Davis, who is slated to speak at Tuesday’s meeting in Largo. Chairman Davis’ stance on the bill will be one of the key determining factors of its fate, which makes Tuesday’s town hall a pretty big deal, and the need for a big turnout critical. So if you live in Prince George’s or anywhere nearby, please be sure to RSVP today and drop by Prince George’s Community College on Tuesday at 6:30. If you absolutely can’t make it on Tuesday, you still have three other chances to make a difference in this critical campaign. Jump online to RSVP for a town hall today.
