MD General Assembly 2010 – Clean Energy Victories and Session Summary

This year, CCAN and our partners continued the fight to keep Maryland at the national forefront on clean energy policy. We fought for a number of bills aimed at shoring up Maryland’s hard-won carbon cap and building on other clean energy policy victories of recent years. It was a tough fight, given the state budget difficulties and a state Senate that environmental groups were ready to declare an environmental dead zone at the end of the session. But, thanks to the hard work and dedication of grassroots activists across the state and many dedicated environmental advocates, we managed to score some victories for the climate at the final hour. At the top of our agenda this year was the fight to get a comprehensive energy plan for Maryland. Having a statewide comprehensive plan is absolutely essential to ensuring that Maryland is able to meet its ambitious climate and clean energy policy goals while creating thousands of new clean energy jobs in the process. House Bill 522 and Senate Bill 910, if passed, would have required the creation of a state energy plan that is consistent with all state environmental laws and required the Public Service Commission to review proposals with respect to that state plan. Sadly, both bills died in committee. However, thanks to the clear public support for this important energy blueprint, some legislative leaders recommended administrative action. So we are now working with Governor O’Malley and his administration to create a comprehensive energy plan. Stay tuned for more info on this effort. In addition to the comprehensive energy plan, CCAN fought for a variety of other important clean energy initiatives including an expansion and acceleration of the solar portion of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, the creation of clean energy loans programs, improvements the state’s net-metering policies, and an effort to prepare the state to cope with the stronger storms we are starting to face as a result of climate change.

Here a summary of how those bills fared:

Solar Energy: SB 277/HB 471 (WIN!) The Administration bill accelerating solar energy production in Maryland passed. However, the targets for accelerating the solar energy production were significantly weakened in the final version passed by the House.

Net Metering: SB 355 and HB 801 (WIN!) Both bills will improve our net metering law, requiring utilities to pay for excess power generated by solar power or other on-site generators.

Clean Energy Loans: SB 720/HB 1014 (LOSS) This common sense bill would have helped property owners afford clean energy projects, but was ultimately defeated, largely because of hard-fought lobbying efforts by the banking industry, which would have faced competition from the loan program.

Climate Adaptation: SB 1092 (LOSS) This bill would have empowered the state to study the connection between this past winter’s historic snowstorms and climate change, assess the future likelihood of such strong storms, and take steps to finance our emergency and disaster preparedness forces to deal with such future storms. Despite dying in Finance committee, the committee leadership is planning to work with the governor’s office to try to accomplish the goals of the bill.

With three wins and two losses, this Session wasn’t a perfect one for climate and clean energy policy but it certainly was one in which we carried Maryland further down the path towards the clean energy future. Big thanks to all of you amazing activists out there who proved that even in a tough year for environmental legislation, the power of grassroots action can achieve wins for the climate. We’re looking forward to continuing to work alongside you next session, and in the coming months in our ongoing efforts to win victories for the climate.

Drumroll, please.

CCAN has a new, improved website! Check it out at our usual address: www.chesapeakeclimate.org.

(It just went live this afternoon so thanks for your patience as I iron out the kinks. If you see something that needs fixing, please feel free to email me).

Many, many thanks to the talented (and previous CCANer) Susanna Murley for designing the new site!

A Tale of Two Cities and The Broken Promise of Coal

Crossposted from CBF’s Blog.

I recently drove down to the blackwater swamps of southern Virginia to witness a tale of two cities. Many residents of tiny, rural Dendron (population, 300) see their community’s economic salvation in the construction of a coal-fired power plant. But others are deeply worried about the health impacts of toxic mercury pollution and microscopic soot particles. Down the road from Dendron, the town of Clover, Virginia, tried a similar path to renaissance 17 years ago — and learned a sobering lesson.

I started my journey in Dendron, located about 50 miles west Norfolk, Virginia. Once the home of a booming lumber mill, today the only remaining business in town is Bailey’s Convenient Mart. The signs out front proclaim “Mountain Dew” and “God Loves You.”

“There is nothing here right now — no stores, no playgrounds, no entertainment for our kids,” said Fred Moore, a longtime area resident, as he leaned against an out-of-service pump out front of Bailey’s. “If you even want to get gas for your lawn mower, you got to go 10 miles either way. But change is coming with the power plant. This could bring in a lot of people.”

The Dendron Town Council in February approved a rezoning that will allow the construction of a 1,500 megawatt coal-fired power plant Continue reading

Massey-owned Mine Explosion- Worst in 25 years

Today, around 4:30pm, a Raleigh County, West Virginia mine exploded killing 6 miners and leaving 20-some miners unaccounted for at Massey Energy Company’s Performance Coal Company Upper Big Branch Mine. Massey Energy Company is based in Richmond, Virginia and has operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.

Emergency workers are on the scene.

[Updated April 6, 10:00am]

Massey Energy Company has confirmed that 25 miners have been killed and two are in the hospital. Four miners are still missing and rescue operations are ongoing, though rescue workers likely won’t be able to re-enter the mine until early evening today. According to the West Virginia Gazette, “Rescuers were pulled out of the mine early today morning because of dangerously high levels of methane, and crews were beginning the process of drilling boreholes to vent the explosive gases and make it safe for rescuers to return underground.”

“We are still in that rescue operation mode,” said Gov. Joe Manchin. “With that being said, three holes have to be drilled. The best I can tell you is that it’s going to be a very long day.”

Also according to the WV Gazette, in the past year, federal inspectors have cited Massey and fined the company more than $382,000 for repeated serious violations involving its ventilation plan and equipment at the mine run by subsidiary Performance Coal Co. The violations also cover failing to follow the plan, allowing combustible coal dust to pile up, and having improper firefighting equipment.

This disaster is the worst U.S. coal-mining disaster in a quarter century. The Coal Tattoo blog has more on the disaster and how it will affect future mining operations.

A beginning of the end for MTR?

Yesterday the EPA announced that they would be placing restrictions on the damange to streams and Appalachian watershed due to mountaintop removal and other practices.

From the EPA’s press release:
To protect water quality, EPA has identified a range of conductivity (a measure of the level of salt in the water) of 300 to 500 microSiemens per centimeter. The maximum benchmark conductivity of 500 microSiemens per centimeter is a measure of salinity that is roughly five times above normal levels. The conductivity levels identified in the clarifying guidance are intended to protect 95 percent of aquatic life and fresh water streams in central Appalachia.

“The people of Appalachia shouldn’t have to choose between a clean, healthy environment in which to raise their families and the jobs they need to support them. That’s why EPA is providing even greater clarity on the direction the agency is taking to confront pollution from mountain top removal,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We will continue to work with all stakeholders to find a way forward that follows the science and the law. Getting this right is important to Americans who rely on affordable coal to power homes and businesses, as well as coal communities that count on jobs and a livable environment, both during mining and after coal companies move to other sites.”

This is not a ban on Mountain Top Removal, but would, to my understanding, restrict mountaintop removal coal mining severely.

“Minimizing the number of valley fills is a very, very key factor,” Jackson said. “You’re talking about no, or very few, valley fills that are going to meet this standard.”

Full audio of the briefing can be heard on Coal Tattoo which has a more in depth analysis.

More information can be found on by Jeff Biggers (author and presenter at CCAN’s Artist for the Climate) here and from our coalition partner Appalachian Voices here.

Obama Says "Drill Baby Drill?!?!" and that's a good thing?

Just because you read it in the paper doesn’t mean it’s true.  I’m tired of the papers pretending to represent the views of all Virginians when, in fact, they’re filled with global warming skepticism and a drill-baby-drill mentality. That is why I’m happy to introduce CCAN’s newest feature, “Virginia Climate Clips,” bringing you recent climate news compiled from papers all across Virginia. I’m contacting concerned climate activists weekly to get our voices heard! There’s a big hole in the news right now. Every day I read about how how climate change isn’t real, wind farms are the next Armageddon and, if you picked up today’s paper, EVEN President Obama’s misguided decision to open up our shores to offshore drilling sounds like a good idea
 
These papers aren’t reporting the whole story and it’s time to get our voices heard.  I will send out “Climate Clips” every Thursday, which will include tips, a sample letter, and articles to respond to.  Hopefully these stories will inspire you to submit a letter to the editor reacting to any of the articles I’ve pasted in these emails. 

Feel free to circulate this far and wide.

If you are interested in not getting these emails please just reply and I will remove you from this hand selected list of Climate Activists.  If you are receiving this as a forward and would like to subscribe please email Lauren@chesapeakeclimate.org with Climate Clips in the subject.

PS- If you want an extra set of eyes to look over your letter please don’t hesitate to call me (804) 335-0915  or send it my way.  Also if you could forward me any letters you do submit so I can keep track that would be great!

CLIMATE CLIPS: Issue 1: April 1, 2010
1. Tips on Submitting Letters
2. Sample Letter
3. This week’s “Climate Clips”

Continue reading

If Only this was an April Fools Joke

The tweet making its way around the youth climate movement: “wishing Obama’s #drilling plan was a Fossil Fool’s Day joke- not funny, nor worth the costs.”

That’s what youth across America feel after President Obama’s announcement yesterday.

Is this a joke? We voted in record numbers, knocked on doors, made phone calls, and dragged our friends to the polls with the hope that we were voting for clean energy and climate change solutions. Instead our leaders didn’t lead in Copenhagen, we still don’t have a climate bill, and now President Obama wants to open up half of the east coast to offshore drilling.

I wish this was a joke. It’s not a funny one. This is our future. Our jobs. Our economy at stake.

The last few weeks youth across the country voted to Define Our Decade to show what we wanted as a generation. Overwhelmingly youth voted to use 100% clean energy in the next decade. We didn’t vote for more of the same, or selling out to industry. And it isn’t what will motivate us to turn out to the polls in 2010 either.

As Morgan Goodwin wrote:

Youth, the millennial generation so inspired by Obama to vote in record numbers, have the most to lose from the expansion of drilling. Even some coastal governors and senators will be angry about the announcement because of the small amount of oil and huge environmental risks. If white-haired governors and senators are worried, what about young people who are thinking about protecting this coastline for us and our children, long after the tiny amounts of energy have been extracted?

Obama inspired our generation to turn out to the polls, and he can do it again if he moves to actually inspire us. But youth across the country have longer memories than this short-sighted political thinking. Under this proposal the first lease sales for drilling would be held in 2012, a year that Obama will be hoping to connect with us and convince us he stands for our interests. That’s not change we can believe in. If young people don’t believe him, they aren’t going to be inspired to vote.

No joke.

Tell Us Why You (heart) Clean Air!

Do you love clean air as much as we do? Then join CCAN in taking part in the “i (heart) clean air” campaign on the Clean Air Act Facebook fan page. From March 29 through Earth Day, people are posting their photos and sharing their stories about why they ? clean air. These photos and stories will be sent to Congress to demonstrate that Americans everywhere are saying no to airborne pollutants that are bad for our health, environment, and climate. The most memorable photos and stories will be featured on the Clean Air Act Facebook page and shared with their 3,500+ fans.

So join in and let our leaders know that when you breathe in, only clean air will do!