In the final days of the 2014 legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly — despite passing many strong bills on climate change in recent years — voted to effectively stop construction of an entire modern wind farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
But that’s not all. The same bad bill — HB 1168 — would effectively delay and perhaps stop land-based wind power development in all or part of 12 Maryland counties in the eastern and southern parts of our state. Why? Because of military radar concerns that experts believe can be totally resolved without harmful new state legislation.
In solidarity with Maryland’s major environmental groups, Governor Martin O’Malley vigorously opposed this “anti-wind power” bill during the legislative session that just ended. The governor explicitly urged the General Assembly not to stymie wind power development this way. But with ferocious lobbying from special-interest defense contractors and their political supporters, the bill passed anyway. Now, for the sake of climate change and clean energy solutions, it’s time for Governor O’Malley to pull out his veto pen!
Click here to ask Gov. O’Malley to VETO HB 1168, the “anti-wind power” bill. Please send your email right now — the future of Maryland wind power is truly at stake.
Overall, it was a challenging year for clean energy in the 2014 General Assembly. The so-called “black liquor loophole” bill — which would have ended renewable-energy bonuses to out-of-state paper mills that burn toxic pulp waste — did not pass. But we strongly believe that with your help, this bill will get over the finish line next year! Likewise, a great bill to double wind and solar power usage goals in Maryland by the year 2025 did not become law. This bill — also known as the “40% RPS bill” — was enthusiastically welcomed by many key lawmakers, especially given rapidly falling wind and solar prices nationwide. We’ll pass it next year. Finally, the General Assembly failed to act once again on fracking — we’ll keep you updated on ways to take action on that front this summer.
But there’s still time to turn the 2014 legislative year into a big win for the environment if Governor O’Malley simply vetoes HB 1168. A veto will send the message that Maryland really is serious about clean energy development that helps rural farmers and creates good-paying union jobs while remaining utterly compatible with national security needs. Indeed, stopping climate change is America’s TOP national security need.
So please ask Gov. O’Malley to VETO HB 1168, the “anti-wind power” bill, so Maryland can pursue a robust, clean energy future.
Learn more facts about this bill by clicking here, including how the Patuxent River Naval Air Station is already in agreement with a wind farm developer on the Eastern Shore for how radar needs and wind power can co-exist. The key — confirmed by an MIT study — is simply to turn the windmills off when the Navy is using a key radar system. The wind company — Pioneer Green — has agreed to do this. But exaggerated concerns by private defense contractors led to passage of HB 1168 nonetheless.
Governor O’Malley — whose 8-year stint as governor ends this year — can leave office with perhaps his most heroic action yet on climate change: vetoing a bad bill so Marylanders can benefit forever from healthy, clean energy.
Click here to take action now.
