Advanced Energy Perspectives

On June 4, Governor Wes Moore cemented his place among clean energy champions when he announced that he intends to double down on Maryland’s commitment to 100% clean energy by 2035. Moore’s Executive Order, carrying the full force of law, created a Governor’s Subcabinet on Climate and directed all state agencies to develop Climate Implementation Plans that align with the state’s Climate Pollution Reduction Plan, identify funding and funding gaps to fully implement their plans, and consider how to advance environmental justice and address disproportionate impacts of climate change on underserved and overburdened communities. The order impacts the power sector, the transportation sector, and critically: the building sector.  

The 2024 Maryland legislative session wrapped up on April 8th and marked another step forward for clean energy development in the state. Advanced Energy United played a key role in developing and supporting policies that reshaped how the state is approaching issues like transportation electrification, energy efficiency, and even geothermal energy.  

In recent years, Maryland has emerged as a frontrunner in clean energy leadership nationally, fueled by ambitious goals for clean energy and clean transportation. Policies like the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Rule, the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) Rule, and the Maryland Building Energy Transition Plan prioritize electric vehicles (EVs), clean energy, and building electrification. However, while these policies are vital and the goals in them need to be met, their full implementation is going to require an electric system that we don’t yet have—and now there is groundbreaking legislation being considered in Annapolis that would address this aspect of the clean energy transition as well. 

This past weekend, President Biden signed a bill to raise the national debt ceiling that also included modest improvements in the permitting process for building clean energy projects. As part of the negotiation process, Congressional leaders considered policy changes to speed up the buildout of large-scale electric grid transmission, such as expanding transmission capacity between regions. Ultimately, and unfortunately, those reforms were not included in the bill.

Last Friday in Baltimore, I watched as Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act into law, a foundational step for the state as it works to build out its electric grid infrastructure, build up its offshore wind industry, and reach its ambitious renewable energy goals.

With the passage of the POWER Act, Maryland will serve as an example for state legislators across the country in showing the type of action that must be taken for states to make the transition to clean energy. Specifically, this law will greatly improve the planning processes needed to build transmission lines and get the electric grid ready for Maryland’s noteworthy 8.5 GW offshore wind power production goal, as well as for increased onshore clean energy production. Improving the grid will also boost the state’s grid efficiency and resiliency, lower utility bills for homes and businesses, and create good-paying union jobs that will connect Maryland to both wind and solar resources.