Maryland Energy Talk

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Latest Episodes:

Amending BEPS Feb 22, 2025

In 2022 the Maryland General Assembly enacted Building Energy Performance Standards or BEPS. More than a dozen states and municipalities have enacted BEPS and it’s easy to see why. The program has benefits for air quality, energy affordability, grid stability, and quality of life. As Churchill said “We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.” Improving our buildings improves our lives.

I’m thrilled to say that BEPS is currently in effect, regulating the 9,000 buildings over 35,000 square feet, reducing pollution today.

This year, the Maryland Department of the Environment has introduced a bill that would amend BEPS to allow building owners additional flexibility in complying with BEPS, SB256 HB49. The bill as introduced is pretty short, but MDE has negotiated with lawmakers a package of amendments that provide a great deal of additional flexibility and leeway for building owners. The bottom line is that if the bill passes as amended no building owner will have to do anything unless the investment pays for itself over a fixed period of time.

I’m grateful to MDE and the legislators for developing legislation that helps out building owners while maintaining the program.

Do dive into exactly what changes are being proposed to BEPS, my guest today is Cliff Majersik with the Institute for Market Transformation. He was the policy lead in developing the first BEPS in the country, and has been involved in every other BEPS policy across the country. I can think of no one better to have this conversation with.

The Transportation and Climate Alignment Act Feb 17, 2025

Transportation is the largest single source of climate pollution in Maryland. Fully one third of all our emissions come from this sector. For reference, the second biggest source of emissions in Maryland is electricity generation which makes up only about one fifth of total emissions.

The legislation in the general assembly this year that has the greatest potential to reduce emissions from the transportation sector is the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act, SB0395 and HB0084 introduced by Senator Hester and Delegate Edelson. This bill passed both chambers last year but the clock ran out on it on Sine Die.

The Transportation and Climate Alignment Act has the potential to lower transportation costs, increase transit options, reduce congestion, cut climate pollution, and even lessen the burden on our electrical grid. It does all of this not by investing new money but by shifting how we invest existing transportation funds

What is PJM? Feb 10, 2025

In the summer of 2024 I sat down with Delegate Lorig Charkoudian to record a conversation about what PJM is and how it affects our energy policy here in Maryland. This was before the launch of this podcast, and we simply uploaded our conversation onto Youtube where you can still find it.

This is one of my favorite conversations I have recorded on energy policy because it really demystifies an entity that has enormous control over our energy system. Going in, I thought I knew a lot about PJM, but I didn’t fully understand exactly what it’s doing until this conversation. I think you’ll get a lot out of it, and I wanted to share it on this podcast.

Senator Van Hollen on Taxpayer Relief Through the RENEW Act Feb 05, 2025

Right now, Marylanders are paying for the costs of climate change. Higher tides, hotter heat waves, and heavier rain events are all damaging infrastructure and requiring expensive repairs. Public schools that never needed AC for over a hundred years now need to have AC installed at great expense to tax payers. Salt water intrusion is making what used to be agricultural land infertile, slashing property values and as a result, property taxes to the state. 40 years ago, 9 inches of rain was a once in a hundred year rain event, today, 9 inches of rain is at least a once in 10 year rain event. None of our storm water management systems were designed to handle that increased precipitation. Many of those systems are in the middle of the expensive process of upgrading, and where upgrades to storm water management systems aren’t happening, floods are damaging people’s homes.

You can throw a dart at the map of Maryland and wherever the dart lands you will find stories of state funds being used to pay for damages caused by climate change. These costs are not optional. If a road floods regularly at high tide it will need repair, and right now the Maryland tax payer is paying for all of them. Climate damages are contributing to the projected budget deficit in Maryland

Thankfully, Maryland’s Senior US Senator Chris Van Hollen developed an innovative policy that will make the largest international fossil fuel companies pay for the cost of climate damages and ensure they cannot pass the cost on to consumers. He has introduced his Polluter Pays Act in Congress and that legislation has inspired a state version of the policy called the RENEW Act which Senator Hester, Delegate Fraser-Hidalgo and Delegate Boafo have introduced in Maryland.

Making polluters pay is extremely popular, with a full 70% of Marylanders supporting it. The policy has growing momentum and has been enacted in multiple other states, and it’s easy to see why. It provides immediate taxpayer relief at a time when the cost of living never seems to stop rising.

I am thrilled that Senator Van Hollen is my guest today on Maryland Energy Talk to discuss how we can make polluters pay for the climate damages in Maryland

Maryland's Landmark Protection From Retail Suppliers Jan 27, 2025

In 2024 the Maryland General Assembly passed the Electricity and Gas - Retail Supply - Regulation and Consumer Protection Act, better known as SB 1, introduced by Senate President Pro-Tem Malcolm Augustine and Vice-Chair of the House Economic Matters committee Brian Crosby. SB 1 set a national standard for protecting consumers from predatory retail suppliers, some of whom were luring people into contracts with low rates and the promise of clean energy, only to quickly escalate their rates while purchasing very low quality renewable energy credits.

President Pro-Tem Augustine, along with Vice-Chair Crosby, was a leader in identifying this problem, developing a legislative solution, and getting the policy enacted.

STRIDE, The Program Driving Up Everyone's Energy Bill Jan 20, 2025

Many Marylanders are seeing record high gas bills this year because of a little known Maryland program called STRIDE

In 2013 Maryland lawmakers created the STRIDE program to fix leaks in certain gas pipes. At the time, no one anticipated it would result in utilities building entirely new gas systems and costing Marylander tens of billions of dollars, but that is exactly what has happened

I sat down with Maryland’s People’s Counsel David Lapp to talk about how the STRIDE program got so far out of hand, and what can be done about it.

Every time I hear David Lapp talk about how much we are paying for STRIDE and how ineffective the program is I am floored. The numbers truly boggle the mind.

How to Generate More Electricity in Maryland, Fast Jan 06, 2025

Maryland needs to generate more electricity in state. As Delegate Lorig Charkoudian explains, the fastest, cheapest way to do that is through the Abundant, Affordable, Clean Energy Act, or AACE Act that she and Senator Brooks are introducing in 2025.

The quickest, most reliable way to get more in state electricity generation may not be what you think it is.

Sources:

Governor Moore's Climate Pollution Reduction Plan

Energy Information Administration Maryland State Profile Data

PSC Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Report