The Maryland Legislature has passed an ambitious new climate bill called the Climate Solutions Now Act, which sets an early goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 60% by 2031 and a long-term goal for the state’s economy to reach net-zero emissions by 2045 reach.
The bill became law after Governor Hogan refused to take action against it. The Maryland Constitution states that the governor must respond to a bill with objections within six days or “the law is as if he had signed it.”
In addition to the net zero targets, the new legislation requires the formation of numerous working groups to deal with topics related to the energy transition. These groups include the Just Transition Employment and Retraining Working Group, the Energy Industry Revitalization Working Group, the Energy Resilience and Efficiency Working Group, and the Solar Photovoltaic Systems Recovery, Reuse, and Recycling Working Group.
The law also incentivizes counties to build net-zero schools and focuses on improving access to solar power for low- to middle-income populations.
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) called the new law “one of the most robust climate and energy policies in the nation.”
“The law requires Maryland to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors by 2045 and join only a handful of other states in setting economy-wide emission reduction targets,” said ACORE President and CEO Gregory Wetstone in a statement. “The legislation also includes important environmental justice provisions, including the establishment of a state-level task force to ensure a just transition for fossil fuel workers and businesses, and dedicated funding and targeted resources for communities disproportionately affected by polluting industries . State legislators across the country should look to Maryland and the Climate Solutions Now Act as a model for legislative action that is right for the moment and puts us on the path to a sustainable, just future.”
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