Maryland Grid Can Easily Accommodate Electrification of Building and Transportation Sectors, State Study Concludes

Prominent Climate Groups Praise Study Findings, Optimistic About Electrification

Baltimore, MD — A report commissioned by the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) shows that Maryland’s grid is equipped to accommodate high electrification of vehicles and buildings, especially if coupled with achievable gains in energy efficiency and load flexibility.

“The results from this study deliver good news to Marylanders,” said Chris Stix, a volunteer with Sierra Club who participated in the study. “We can achieve Maryland’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60% without overloading the electric grid by widely deploying heat pumps. For space and hot water heating, the use of heat pumps is much more efficient than existing electric and fossil fuel appliances. As a result, they contribute only modestly to peak electric loads.”

The study shows that electrification of buildings and vehicles will result in very limited additional load growth relative to what the utilities are already planning in their own growth forecasts over the next ten years. In the high electrification scenario that assumes best-in-class technology (such as highly efficient cold-climate heat pumps), the Maryland system would see 1.1% annual load growth. This load growth could be even further reduced to 0.3% with ambitious but achievable energy efficiency and load flexibility measures.

“All Marylanders deserve a healthy and safe place to live. This study shows that not only can we upgrade homes across the state with clean, highly efficient equipment that will slash pollution and improve public health, but we already have the grid capacity to make those updates,” said Ruth Ann Norton, President & CEO of the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative. “Our state leaders in the General Assembly and Governor Moore must now pursue policies that will equitably deliver healthy, pollution-free homes.”

The expected load growth is comparable to or less than the Maryland system has seen year-by-year over the past 40 years. Historically, the system experienced significant load growth in the 1980s of 4.9% per year and more moderate growth of 1.2-1.5% from 1990-2010. Load declined between 2010-2020.

One reason for the limited impact of electrification is that there is existing headroom available on the grid to handle winter and summer peaks in demand. Heat pumps are also far more efficient than fossil-fuel-powered equipment. They provide both heating and cooling and are two to four times more efficient than gas furnaces and use 29% less electricity than the best-performing central air conditioning units.

In 2022, as part of the Climate Solutions Now Act, the Maryland General Assembly considered whether to require electric heating and cooling equipment in all newly constructed buildings in the state. Concerned about the impacts that new construction would have on the grid, legislators directed the PSC to create the Electrification Study Working Group (ESWG) to study the issue.

“This study completely puts to rest the question of whether the grid can handle electrification of new construction,” said Anne Havemann, Deputy Director and General Counsel for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, who also participated in the ESWG.

The PSC commissioned the Brattle Group to model five scenarios, two of which meet the state’s goal of 60% GHG reduction from 2006 levels by 2031. The first, 3A, employs a high level of cold-climate heat pumps, with 90% of space heating sales in buildings being heat pumps by 2030.  The second, 3B, employs a high level of conventional heat pumps by 2030. Water heater sales are assumed to be 90% heat pumps by 2027. For electric vehicles, all scenarios achieve Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) and Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulations.

The assumptions used in Brattle’s study were carefully considered by the Electrification Study Work Group and all stakeholders, including the utilities, had the extensive ability to comment on them. As a starting point, Brattle used each electric utility’s 10-year plan. The starting level of heat pump deployment is based on a 2022 survey commissioned by the PSC.

“Maryland is on the cusp of an exciting transition to a 21st-century energy future,” Havemann added. “To manage this transition equitably and responsibly, Maryland must commit to policies such as zero-emissions equipment standards that can accelerate the adoption of highly efficient technologies such as heat pumps and modernizing its grid to ensure all residents reap the health and economic benefits of pollution-free homes. Targeted incentives and new regulations that prioritize equity must be implemented now to achieve the transition to a highly electrified future in a way that doesn’t leave Marylanders behind. This future is achievable and manageable and we encourage the state to commit now.”

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Governor Moore Calls for Spending $1 Billion a Year to Fight Climate Change

Take Action: Tell Governor Moore to make a strong climate action plan!

Leading regional climate group praises Moore Administration’s unprecedented comprehensive plan to meet the state’s ambitious climate pollution reduction mandate of 60% by 2031, calls on him to lay out how to raise the funds


Baltimore, MD — Maryland Governor Wes Moore recently released the state’s final plan for reducing heat trapping pollution in line with state law. The plan includes specific recommendations for every sector of the economy which, if fully implemented, would reduce climate pollution 60% by 2031 and keep the state on track to eliminate net emissions by 2045.

“Governor Moore has done what no Maryland Governor has done before: put forward a plan to invest $1 billion a year in the clean energy economy to eliminate our net climate pollution,” said Jamie DeMarco, Maryland Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Fully implementing the investments and standards recommended in this report will lower energy bills, create good jobs, improve health outcomes, and achieve our pollution reduction mandates.” 

Governor Moore proposes funding the new investment through a combination of green revenue bonds, a cap and invest program, a carbon fee, a hazardous substances fee, a clean air toll, and a pollution fee on fuel burning-vehicles. These investments will pay for themselves many times over. The report says that, if fully implemented, this plan “will generate up to $1.2 billion in public health benefits, $2.5 billion in increased personal income, and a net gain of 27,400 jobs between now and 2031 as compared with current policies. Average households will save up to $4,000 annually on energy costs. Air quality and public health outcomes will improve for everyone, especially people living in historically underserved and overburdened communities.”

While the plan lays out potential options for raising the necessary revenue, it falls short of fully embracing a specific plan to generate the needed $1 billion. “It is Governor Moore’s responsibility to lead on the question of revenue raising, and not punt the hard choices to the legislature,” DeMarco added. “We also expect that the Governor will incorporate equity into every part of the state’s decarbonization process.” 

In addition to calling for necessary investments, the plan also lays out the standards and policies needed. It calls for a Zero-Emission Heating Equipment Standard, a 20% reduction in Vehicle Miles Traveled, eliminating trash incineration from the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, 100% clean energy by 2035, and more. Each of these policies represents a tremendous victory for Maryland’s climate and communities. Taken together, they form the first ever comprehensive plan that, if fully funded, will reduce climate pollution at the necessary speed. 

Previously: Over 40 Maryland Groups Tell Governor Moore to “Get it Done by ‘31” for the Climate

Take Action: Tell Governor Moore to make a strong climate action plan!

 

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with climate change  in the Chesapeake Bay region. For 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

VA State Corporation Commission Hearing Examiner Calls for Rejection of Dominion’s Energy Plan

Report corroborates what activists and residents have been saying all along… Dominion does not need to build new fossil-fuel plants to meet demand.

RICHMOND, VA —On December 8, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) Hearing Examiner recommended the state agency reject Dominion Energy’s energy plan known as the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Senior Hearing Examiner A. Ann Berkebile stated that she does “not recommend the Commission find the 2023 IRP to be reasonable and in the public interest.”

Victoria Higgins, Virginia director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, stated: 

“The Hearing Examiner’s report corroborates what the environmental community and residents around the proposed methane gas plant in Chesterfield have been saying all along: there is no evidence to suggest that Dominion must build new fossil fuel plants to meet demand. 

“On top of that, the report underscores how Dominion has utterly failed to plan for an energy future that ensures environmental justice for all. 

“Finally, the report also notes that it is incumbent upon Dominion to account for the extraordinary health and economic costs we bear as a Virginia community when the company continues to build and use polluting infrastructure. It is self-evidently unreasonable and against the public interest to double down on fossil fuels with just six years left to cut U.S. emissions in half.” 

The news comes shortly after CCAN’s advocacy arm, the CCAN Action Fund, commissioned a report from Gabel Associates finding that Dominion’s proposed plan to build new fossil fuel plants imposes enormous economic and social risks on Virginians, and that Dominion can meet electricity demand with clean energy instead. Read the report here.

It also comes amid months of opposition to Dominion’s proposal to build a massive new methane gas plant in Chesterfield, which is in line with the utility’s fossil fuel-friendly plan and Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 Energy Plan. The proposal is not in line, however, with Virginia’s state law to phase out fossil fuels per the Virginia Clean Economy Act.

Contact: 
Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director, vhiggins@chesapeakeclimate.org, 201-937-7017
KC Chartrand, Communications Director, kc@chesapeakeclimate.org, 240-620-7144

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with climate change  in the Chesapeake Bay region. For 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

President Biden Further Slashes Offshore Wind Lease Areas in Central Atlantic 

CCAN responds: Final offshore wind maps are insufficient for regional offshore wind goals

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the Biden Administration announced that it is slashing a major portion of the areas in the Central Atlantic that may be leased for offshore wind development. This decision will undercut the ability of Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina to achieve their renewable energy goals and set back progress towards America’s clean energy transformation.  

To achieve their combined offshore wind goals, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina must build 11 gigawatts of offshore wind in new lease areas. In July 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) put out a map of three proposed new lease areas — areas A-2, B-1, and C-1 — that would have collectively allowed between 4 and 8 gigawatts of offshore wind to be built. 

Maryland supporters of offshore wind urged President Biden to expand this map to allow the Central Atlantic states to hit their offshore wind goals. Rather than expand the areas being leased, today BOEM announced that they would be cutting lease area B-1 entirely. 

“The Biden Administration had the opportunity to provide all the lease area needed to allow Maryland to achieve our goal of building 8.5 gigawatts of offshore wind, but they opted not to,” said Jamie DeMarco, Maryland Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “No one fought harder for Maryland in this process than Senator Chris Van Hollen and Governor Wes Moore. Their efforts helped secure commitments for future offshore wind lease sales, and we are very grateful for their work.”

While all the area outlined in black on the map above was originally identified as potential offshore wind locations, only area C and a portion of area A will be granted for offshore wind use. 

CCAN is committed to ensuring the existing lease areas in the Central Atlantic are filled to capacity as quickly as possible through implementation of the Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2019 and the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act of 2023. 

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Contact: 
Jamie DeMarco, Maryland Director, jamie@chesapeakeclimate.org, 201-937-7017
KC Chartrand, Communications Director, kc@chesapeakeclimate.org, 240-620-7144

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), the oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with climate change in the Chesapeake Bay region. For over 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and beyond.

Virginia Marine Resources Commission Approves Water Permit for Pipeline Project Despite 100% Public Opposition

VMRC allowed little time and made little effort to solicit public comments – and then ignored the 174 public comments opposing the project.

RICHMOND, VA. Yesterday, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) approved a wetlands permit for the Virginia Reliability Project, which would dig up 49 miles of a 12-inch diameter pipeline running from Hampton Roads to Central Virginia and replace it with a 24-inch pipeline. The project would quadruple the pipeline’s capacity to channel dangerous, planet-warming methane gas. Within one mile of the pipeline’s route, more than half the population are communities of color and nearly half the population live below the poverty line.

VMRC allowed for just 15 days of public comment, starting the Monday of Thanksgiving week, and did not publicize the opportunity in the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall Public Notices. Nevertheless, 174 comments were filed to oppose the project, constituting 100% of all public comments received. VMRC issued a decision on the permit on the day that the comment period closed, so it is unclear whether commissioners reviewed the comments. 

Statement from Charles Brown, Hampton Roads Organizer for Chesapeake Climate Action Network:

“It is beyond absurd that VMRC did less than the bare minimum to notify the public about the opportunity to submit comments – and then did not take into account the fact that 100% of comments were in opposition to the project. What is the point of public comment periods if the public is neither engaged nor listened to?

CCAN has spoken with thousands of people along the route of the proposed pipeline project. Residents of the directly impacted community have been clear that they are fearful of the impact this will have on their health and wellness, or have not been engaged with whatsoever by TC Energy and Columbia Gas. These frontline community members are not being heard.” 

Thirteen public schools and one hospital are within 1.5 miles or less of the route, including Hillpoint Elementary in Suffolk, just 300 feet from the pipeline’s path — and well within its “blast zone.” The project would also cut through 4.2 miles of the Great Dismal Swamp, a key protected habitat home to some of the most important wildlife in the mid-Atlantic region.

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with climate change  in the Chesapeake Bay region. For 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Over 40 Maryland Groups Tell Governor Moore to “Get it Done by ‘31” for the Climate

Governor Moore with Maryland Flag
Take Action: Tell Governor Moore to make a strong climate action plan!

As Governor Moore finalizes the state plan to reduce climate pollution 60% by 2031, a broad array of organizations declare that “Commitments, promises, and unfunded recommendations, regardless of how bold they are, will simply not be enough”

Annapolis, MD — Before the end of December, the Moore Administration must put forward a comprehensive plan to meet Maryland’s climate goals. As the details of that plan are being finalized, more than 40 Maryland grassroots and business leaders signed a letter to the Governor urging him to include concrete investments with guaranteed funding mechanisms to reduce pollution at the speed required by law. 

The letter emphasizes the need to dedicate additional resources toward successfully cutting Maryland’s climate pollution 60% by 2031. “We will not meet our climate goals without investing more to reduce emissions,” said Jamie DeMarco, Maryland Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, “Maryland’s climate plan cannot be silent on revenue, that’s what this letter is communicating.” 

Governor Moore has shown tremendous leadership on climate issues, the letter makes clear. Already, under his leadership, Maryland has made historic investments in offshore wind, sped up the transition to electric vehicles, made community solar a permanent program, installed leaders committed to climate action in the state agencies and at the PSC, and much more. These actions have brought the promise of new union jobs to our state, eased the burden of air pollution, and helped low and moderate income Marylanders benefit from solar power. The state’s final climate plan should match the ambition of what Governor Moore has accomplished during his first year in office. 

But the new plan needs real funding. The letter to Moore says, “Maryland needs the plan and resources to meet our goal. We are asking you to issue a strong climate plan and to commit to a funding mechanism that provides significant resources in order to “get it done by ‘31.”” 

Signatories include:
Advance Maryland; Annapolis Green; Audubon Mid-Atlantic; Baltimore 350; CASA; Cedar Lane Environmental Justice Ministry; Center for Progressive Reform; Chesapeake Climate Action Network; Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility; Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association (CHESSA); Climate Communications Coalition; Climate Law & Policy Project; Climate Reality Greater Maryland; Earthjustice; Elders Climate Action Maryland; Elders for Climate Action; Environment Maryland; Friends of Sligo Creek; Green Sanctuary, Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring; GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic; Howard County Climate Action; Indivisible HoCoMD; Institute for Market Transformation; Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake; Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA); Maryland League of Conservation Voters; Maryland Legislative Coalition; Maryland Legislative Coalition; Climate Justice Wing; Maryland Ornithological Society; Maryland PIRG; Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund; Mobilize Frederick; Oceantic Network; Policy Foundation of Maryland; Rebuild Maryland Coalition; Safe Skies Maryland; Sierra Club Maryland Chapter; The Nature Conservancy, Maryland/DC Chapter; Towson Therapy Group; Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland; Waterkeepers Chesapeake.

Take Action: Tell Governor Moore to make a strong climate action plan!

 

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), the oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with climate change in the Chesapeake Bay region. For over 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and beyond.

CCAN Calls for Immediate Halt to Plan to Cut 1,200 Trees in Rock Creek Park

Mature trees are a vital part of regional ecosystem and climate resilience. CCAN joins other groups urging NPS to save the trees.


WASHINGTON, DC — Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) and other environmental activist groups are speaking out against the proposal to remove over 1,200 trees from Rock Creek Park as part of a new plan to rehabilitate Rock Creek Golf Course. The environmental assessment, from the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) and National Links Trust (NLT), calls for the removal of 1,200-plus trees – amounting to the loss of approximately 8 acres in tree canopy – “to restore the course to its former glory.”

Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, stated: 

“Rock Creek Park is a national treasure and an integral part of Washington, D.C.’s history, as well as a vital resource in our regional fight against climate change. If we want to preserve historic integrity and natural ecosystems, we should do everything we can to protect this park. There must be a way to fix the golf course’s problems without slashing eight acres of century-old trees.” 

Trees are one of our most potent resources  for combating climate change. Many of the trees in Rock Creek Park, sometimes called the “Lungs of DC,” are over 100 years old, each sequestering dozens of pounds of carbon each year. They also provide countless other benefits to people and wildlife, including helping to filter air and water, controlling stormwater, conserving energy, and providing wildlife habitat. 

The proposed NPS plan will eliminate swathes of forest cover, including significant portions of the densest forest patches in the site. Endangered Species like the Long Eared and Indiana Bats – whose populations have already been significantly harmed by the fungal white-nose syndrome – currently use these forests to roost and forage. Additionally, the Hay’s Spring Amphipod, which is only found in Rock Creek Park, shares habitat with the golf course and relies on forest cover for stormwater treatment. These species and others will lose valuable habitat they need to survive.

In 1927, when the proposed golf course design was conceived, the world had limited understanding of climate change and its devastating effects. Today, at a time when the District of Columbia has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, sacrificing a significant part of this treasured park area in order to spruce up an outdated golf course design is anachronistic and environmentally unsustainable. 

CCAN encourages citizens to act now and tell NPS to halt its plans to cut down over 1,200 trees in Rock Creek Park. National Park Service is accepting comments on this proposal until November 4, 2023 at 11:59 PM mountain time.

In addition to CCAN, other environmental groups are speaking out by calling for an extension to the comment period, including: Casey Trees, DC Environmental Network, DC Voters for Animals, Mighty Earth, Anacostia Parks & Community Collaborative, People’s Alliance for Rock Creek (PARC), Ward 8 Woods Conservancy, City Wildlife, Capitol Hill Energy Co-Op, Sierra Club DC Chapter, Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats, Sticky Fingers Diner, Capital Nature, Green Compass, LLC, Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA), Citizens’ Climate Lobby DC Chapter, Nature Forward (formerly known as Audubon Naturalist Society), Langdon Park Forest Stewards, Anacostia Riverkeeper, and Anacostia Watershed Society.

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with climate change  in the Chesapeake Bay region. For 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Broad Statewide Coalition Comments on Eliminating Maryland Climate Pollution

In responding to the Maryland Department of the Environment Climate Pathway Report, a broad coalition of environmental and justice organizations in Maryland have put forward comments in support of the state plan to combat inequities and meet the state’s ambitious pollution reduction mandates

Baltimore, MD — For the first time, a coalition of climate and justice advocates has put forward a comprehensive set of comments on actions to eliminate the state’s climate pollution. Climate Partners, the coalition that compiled the comments, praised Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for putting forward a comprehensive package of climate solutions in the form of the Maryland Climate Pathway Report released earlier this year.

“Governor Moore is less than a year into his first term in office, and already he is the first Governor of Maryland ever to propose a set of policies that would actually get Maryland to net-zero emissions,” said Kim Coble, Executive Director, Maryland LCV. “He deserves tremendous praise for that accomplishment, and we look forward to working with the Moore Administration to refine, pass, and implement these policies.”

In particular, advocates praised the Moore Administration’s plan to create air quality equipment standards that would, over time, eliminate air pollution from energy use in buildings. In September, a new report found that emissions from fossil fuel-powered furnaces and water heaters cause three times more air pollution than all of the state’s power plants combined. These findings underscore the importance of the air quality equipment standards proposed in MDE’s Pathway Report.

“Enacting Air Quality Equipment Standards, referred to as zero-emissions appliance standards in the report, is a critical step that the Moore Administration can take through executive action to address the climate crisis in Maryland,” said Jamie DeMarco, Maryland Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Governor Moore should waste no time in enacting this life-saving policy.”

MDE is currently turning the Pathway Report, meant to be one path to net zero, into official recommendations on behalf of the state. In submitting their comments today, Climate Partners are urging MDE to make improvements in the final recommendations. The powerful coalition communicated several changes, including that MDE recommend the end of all trash incineration in the state rather than listing trash incineration as a climate solution.

“Environmental justice and equity should be the framework for MDE’s recommendations,” said Robin Lewis, Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA)’s Director for Climate Equity. “Communities that are overburdened by the negative impacts of climate change should be in front of the line, not left behind, when implementing climate solutions as they have suffered enough.”

“Burning trash, biomass, and biogas emits more greenhouse gasses and more toxic compounds per unit of energy than coal. The inclusion of trash incineration as a climate solution in the Pathway Report is unacceptable,” said Staci Hartwell with the Maryland NAACP. “MDE must include the closure of all trash incinerators in their final recommendations for how to eliminate the state’s emissions.”

Advocates also urged stronger measures on vehicle miles traveled. Transportation is the state’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Governor Moore has shown tremendous leadership by speeding up the adoption of electric vehicles, but this transition will not happen quickly enough to achieve our legally mandated reduction of 60% by 2031. To do that, Maryland must find a way to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled. The Pathway Report actually results in an annual average VMT growth of 1% between 2020 and 2030.

“The Maryland Department of the Environment, in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Transportation, should develop a VMT reduction strategy that identifies and models policies, programs, and projects that will lead to a 20% per capita VMT reduction below 2019 levels by 2030,” said Lindsey Mendelson, Transportation Representative for the Maryland Sierra Club. “The VMT reduction strategy should include projects related to public transit, transit-oriented development, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, and transportation demand management.”

The climate pathway report, required by the Climate Solutions Now Act, charts a course to net-zero emissions for the state and is largely aligned with the direction expressed by Climate Partners. As MDE creates their final recommendations for how the state should meet its ambitious pollution reduction mandates they should adopt the changes recommended by Climate Partners.

 

 

     

      • Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689

      • CASA

      • Cedar Lane Environmental Justice Ministry Unitarian Universalist Congregation

      • Center for Progressive Reform

      • Central Maryland Transportation Alliance

      • Chesapeake Climate Action Network

      • Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility

      • Climate Communications Coalition

      • Climate Law & Policy Project

      • Climate Reality Greater Maryland

      • Climate XChange Maryland

      • Earthjustice

      • Echotopia LLC

      • Elders Climate Action Maryland

      • Fix Maryland Rail

      • Green & Healthy Homes Initiative

      • Howard County Climate Action

      • Indivisible Howard County

      • Institute for Market Transformation

      • Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA)

      • League of Women Voters of Maryland

      • Maryland League of Conservation Voters

      • Maryland Legislative Coalition

      • MLC Climate Justice Wing

      • NAACP Maryland State Conference, Environmental and Climate Justice Committee

      • National Housing Trust

      • One Montgomery Green

      • Policy Foundation of Maryland

      • Progressive Maryland

      • Safe Healthy Playing Fields Inc.

      • Sierra Club Maryland Chapter

      • The Climate Mobilization Montgomery County Chapter TCM MoCo

      • Transform Maryland Transportation Coalition

      • Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland

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    CCAN In Solidarity with UAW for Good Jobs, Union Rights, and Auto Industry’s Clean Energy Revolution

    Washington, DC — Over the past decade, Ford, GM, and Stellantis-Chrysler have raked in a staggering quarter-trillion dollars in North America profits, yet members of The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) never received their fair share. As the Big Three invest in the essential shift towards electrification in the automotive industry, including Electric Vehicles (EVs), the UAW stands firm in asserting that the transition to a clean energy future presents a monumental opportunity to elevate autoworker standards rather than diminishing them. 

    Statement from Quentin Scott, Federal Policy Director:

    “At CCAN, we champion a just transition to a clean energy future. Insufficient wages, job insecurity, and substandard working conditions have left both workers and their communities behind. As we move away from fossil fuels, there is a golden opportunity for American workers and their families to thrive through the electrification of the automotive and transportation sector, a vital component of the green energy revolution. Our unwavering commitment to supporting workers and communities fuels our solidarity with the UAW and all those at the forefront of the climate crisis and this imperative transition.”

    Contact:
    Quentin Scott, 310-465-6943, quentin@chesapeakeclimate.org
    KC Chartrand, 240-620-7144, kc@chessapeakeclimate.org

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    Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.chesapeakeclimate.org

    CCAN Joins Immigration, Faith, and Labor Groups at White House Rally Demanding Protected Status for More Climate Migrants

    Washington, DC — In a powerful demonstration at the White House today, CCAN and allied immigration, faith, and labor organizations came together to urgently demand that the Biden Administration extend and expand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from climate change-affected countries. Protestors called for current temporary protections granted to immigrants from El Salvador, Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua to be made permanent. And, while TPS was recently extended for hundreds of thousands of people, the protesters spotlighted the fact that migrants from Guatemala, Pakistan, and other countries facing severe climate change impacts still lack TPS designation or re-designation.

    Statement from Ernesto Villasenor, Jr., CCAN Federal Campaign Coordinator:

    “For decades, scientists have been sounding the alarm on human-induced climate change. And now the grim reality is that climate change-induced catastrophes are upon us, wreaking havoc on El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Guatemala – countries that are already grappling with food insecurity, political turmoil, and rising violence.

    For five years, TPS holders from these crisis-ridden countries endured perpetual uncertainty with only short-term extensions from the US Department of Homeland Security. The recent TPS extension, though helpful, missed a crucial opportunity to demonstrate real leadership for climate migrants. It overlooked countries like Guatemala, Pakistan, and others hit by climate disasters, leaving them out of TPS. We’re at the White House to say, ‘Enough is enough! Families belong together, protected, and safe.” 

    Climate change migration isn’t just about future coastal cities; it’s a current crisis. Thousands of Pakistanis, displaced by devastating floods, illustrate this fact. Despite a third of their country being submerged and nearly half a million people losing homes, they did not receive TPS. This highlights the urgent need to address climate-induced displacement now.

    TPS fundamentally recognizes the imperative of providing immediate assistance and sanctuary to individuals who are unable to return safely to their countries of origin. It acknowledges that the dire circumstances they face are beyond their control and often require a temporary respite to rebuild their lives. Temporary Protected Status embodies the United States’ commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of the global community and providing them with a lifeline during times of great distress.

    By excluding these individuals, the Biden administration exposes them to the same crises that TPS recipients are shielded from, which is illogical. This missed opportunity highlights a lack of true leadership and courage. The pursuit for #TPSJustice persists, and President Biden can still take action by re-designating today.

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    Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.chesapeakeclimate.org