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The Maryland Senate began preliminary discussions Friday on a sweeping climate action plan that calls for net-zero statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
聽aims to curtail Maryland鈥檚 global-warming pollution to 60% below 2006 levels by within the next decade by planting 5 million trees by 2030, electrifying the state government鈥檚 vehicle fleet and constructing more energy efficient school buildings, among other efforts.
After extensively reviewing the bill in four voting sessions last month, the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee聽聽for Senate consideration.
鈥淐limate change is affecting the whole state, the whole nation, the whole world,鈥� Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George鈥檚), the lead sponsor of the bill, said on the Senate floor Friday. 鈥淢aryland is considered probably the third most vulnerable because of our shoreline, both the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay.鈥�
Sen. Robert G. Cassilly (R-Harford) opined that he was apprehensive of 鈥渙mnibus plans to address complex issues,鈥� especially one that requires advanced scientific knowledge, and asked if a commission could look into the topic before enacting anything into law.
But there is already one 鈥� the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, which includes Pinsky, appointees from governor鈥檚 administration and representatives from environmental groups. The commission advises the governor and General Assembly on ways to mitigate the impacts of climate change, but聽聽have fallen short of the urgency needed to confront the climate emergency, Pinsky said. The commission鈥檚 most recent plan called for 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
In addition, the Maryland Department of the Environment聽.
This sweeping climate action bill is a way to fill that gap, Pinsky said.
The measure also includes a sunset provision in 2025, which means lawmakers can in four years assess whether the reduction targets are too fast or too slow and alter them accordingly.
When the original 2009 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act Plan was due for a sunset in 2016, the legislature realized a more aggressive plan was necessary and聽 from reducing emissions by 25% by 2020 to reducing emissions by 40% by 2030
Legislative analysts say it is difficult to calculate the overall costs of the bill鈥檚 far-reaching proposals to change government agencies and functions in a more environmentally way.
A part of Pinsky鈥檚 bill requires at least one of the next five schools built in each jurisdiction to meet net-zero energy requirements, through energy efficiency measures, solar panels or geothermal energy. A loan fund would be available to pay for upfront costs. However, any schools that are not built to meet net-zero energy must be ready to add solar panels at a later date.
Sen. Katherine A. Klausmeier (D-Baltimore County) asked for a stricter mandate 鈥� that all newly constructed schools be built to be net neutral. Although Pinsky endorsed the idea, he said he wanted to set a reasonable goal for every county and聽allay concerns about the upfront costs of building energy efficient schools.
鈥淭he hope was at least every county would have one show piece to show that it can be done and it can save money,鈥� Pinsky said.
There are already three net-zero school buildings in Maryland: Wilde Lake Middle School in Howard County, which was completed in 2017, and Graceland Park/O鈥橠onnell Heights Middle School and Holabird Academy in Baltimore City, which opened this school year.
鈥淎t the end of the day, these are going to be savings,鈥� Pinsky said.
Pinsky鈥檚 bill would require no more than $20 million from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to help pay for replacing the state fleet with electric cars and for school buildings to become carbon neutral or solar ready. For planting trees, $15 million from the Bay Restoration Fund annually and $1.25 million from the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund would be mandated.
The House Environment Subcommittee began working on the聽聽on Wednesday.
Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said at a press conference Friday he was looking forward to seeing climate bills on the floor, which he expects to be 鈥渇iercely debated next week.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 the slow burning existential crisis in our midst. It鈥檚 the thing Maryland needs to be a leader on,鈥� he said.
eshwe@marylandmatters.org
