There is a wealth of literature that shows that not only is it technologically feasible to achieve a net zero economy by 2050, but we’ll save a lot of money and lives in doing so.,
Continue readingGovernor Hogan’s Plans to "Kick-Start" a Gas Expansion Across Maryland
While other states and cities are moving away from powering homes and buildings with gas—a potent climate pollutant—Maryland Governor Larry Hogan plans to spend $6.5 million this year in his effort to “kick-start” a gas expansion across Maryland. This $6.5 million is a portion of the $30 million his Administration can spend on expanding gas infrastructure after he negotiated the terms of a settlement allowing a Canadian company to acquire a local gas supplier.
Among the projects his Administration is backing: a new, 11-mile pipeline providing gas to two state-run facilities on the Eastern Shore. In repowering these state facilities, the Hogan Administration foreclosed the possibility of any other type of energy source by only requesting applications for gas. The government should be leading the way towards zero-emission buildings, especially when it comes to state facilities, not putting its thumb on the scale for gas.
“Natural” gas is primarily made up of methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas. It’s 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Methane leaks during production and transportation and gas heaters themselves are inefficient. As a result, a leading scientist concludes that it may actually be better for the climate to heat your home with coal or oil than with gas. In an era of rapid climate change, we cannot wait to replace all of these polluting fossil fuels with electricity powered by clean sources like wind and solar.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, electric alternatives exist for all major energy end uses in buildings. Space heating, water heating, and cooking account for the vast majority of direct fuel usage. Electric technologies exist, and are in use today, that can supply all of these end uses.In 2017, Hogan signed a ban on fracking for gas in Maryland, saying that his administration had “concluded that possible environmental risks of fracking simply outweigh any potential benefits.” Since signing that ban, however, the Hogan Administration has continued to call gas “a bridge fuel” and has worked consistently to kick-start a gas expansion across the State.
Read the white paper here
Offshore Wind Energy is a Breeze: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
By Chloe Taylor, Katrina Vaitkus, Justin Stacey, Zachary Felch, Amanda Speciale, Katie DeVoss, and Miranda Mlilo
Who we are:
We are a group of University of Maryland students majoring in Environmental Science and Policy. For our senior capstone project, we are researching the impact of offshore wind energy for CCAN to help prepare for the upcoming public comment period for the proposed Ocean City US Wind Project. We will be creating a series of blog posts to provide information about different aspects of offshore wind and its impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, the economy, and wildlife. This is the first of our three part series.
Greenhouse gas emissions are the most significant driver of climate change. These emissions increase atmospheric temperature, correlating to climate change events such as sea level rise and increased frequency of extreme weather. Not only do these emissions create climate change, but they also pose serious public health risks, specifically to those with poor respiratory health, due to their contribution to air pollution and air quality.
Renewable energy is a solution to combat the problems from greenhouse gas emissions. Supporting renewable energy initiatives and projects can decrease greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tons per year. Currently in the state of Maryland, we emit 59 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, and 17 million metric tons of these alone are from the energy sector. Despite this high number, only 10% of energy generated is renewable. The offshore wind project proposed off of the coast of Ocean City, Maryland may be the solution we are looking for. Not only will it help decrease Maryland’s total emissions by millions of metric tons per year, but it will encourage more renewable energy development.
Currently, wind energy accounts for 1.4% of renewable energy in Maryland, from 191 MW of onshore wind, providing for 49,000 homes. The offshore wind project proposes 250MW of wind power, therefore this could more than double the amount of wind power Maryland uses. American Wind Energy estimates that in 2017 wind energy avoided a total of 189 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the US , reducing 11% of all US power emissions. In addition to carbon dioxide emission displacement, wind also avoided 188,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and 122,000 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions. This major cut alone prompted an estimated $8 billion in public health savings due to better air quality and less pollution.
The offshore wind project could bring many benefits to the state of Maryland and help to decrease emissions on both the state and global scale. Shifting towards renewable energy is important not only for protecting our environment, but also for protecting our own health. Stay informed, get involved, and let our government know that you support offshore wind in the state of Maryland!
Sign this petition to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management urging them to approve offshore wind in Maryland!
Pictures Retrieved From:
https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/hledej.php?hleda=pollution
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/5/25/17393156/offshore-wind-us-massachusetts-rhode-island-zinke
http://www.uswindinc.com/our-projects/
Learn More: Bringing Offshore Wind to Maryland
In Historic Move, Maryland Public Service Commission Approves Two Offshore Wind Farms
The Maryland Public Service Commission today awarded offshore wind renewable energy credits (ORECs) to two projects, bringing what will become the nation’s largest offshore wind farms to Maryland’s shores. The two projects will bring 368 megawatts of wind energy capacity, together yielding over $1.8 billion of in-state spending, spurring the creation of almost 9,700 new direct and indirect jobs and contributing $74 million in state tax revenues over 20 years, according to the PSC.
Mike Tidwell, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, stated:
“After years of visionary advocacy from citizens and businesses across Maryland, the state’s Public Service Commission today approved two major offshore wind farms off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland. These wind farms will be truly pioneering facilities, leading Maryland and the nation toward a 21st century economy that combats climate change and creates jobs in droves at the same time.
The Chesapeake Climate Action Network commends the PSC for correctly assessing the economic, health, and environmental gains integral to these projects. Major thanks must also go to the Maryland General Assembly for passing landmark legislation in 2013, which created incentives and guidelines for offshore wind development. And major credit must go to former Governor Martin O’Malley (D) and his staff who, for years, lead this fight with a vision filled with climate urgency, a sense of social justice, and a devotion to sustainable and vibrant economic growth. This major move toward offshore wind power would not have happened without Governor O’Malley.
Now CCAN is optimistic that the PSC approval today will quickly lead to near-term construction of nearly 400 megawatts of offshore wind. This marks the real start toward an extensive offshore wind industry that will one day soon stretch from Cape Cod, MA to Cape Hatteras, NC and provide as much as a third of the East Coast’s electricity
CONTACT:
Denise Robbins; Chesapeake Climate Action Network; denise@chesapeakeclimate.org; 608-620-8819
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EmPOWER Maryland energy efficiency bill becomes law
Legislation expected to create nearly 70,000 jobs, grow economy and save businesses billions of dollars.
The EmPOWER Maryland energy efficiency legislation championed by businesses and environmental organizations has officially become law.
EmPOWER Maryland helps homeowners and businesses reduce energy waste by offering them technical assistance and incentives to take steps such as installing new appliances, sealing air leaks, and optimizing manufacturing production lines.
Gov. Hogan declined to sign the bill, but he didn’t veto it either, and it passed by a veto-proof margin. As a result, it officially became law at midnight this morning.
See reactions from other business and environmental organizations below
So far, the energy efficiency program has saved utility customers $1.8 billion on their electric bills. According to recent, independent research by the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy, the extension is expected to:
- Create more than 68,000 over the next decade, with most of the jobs in construction and services.
- Save ratepayers $11.7 billion because of reduced energy consumption.
- Add $3.75 billion to Maryland’s gross domestic product.
“The new services EmPOWER Maryland provides will create jobs, save ratepayers money and strengthen our economy,” said Brian Toll, Policy Chair with Efficiency First Maryland. “Everyone who pays an electricity bill will benefit.”
Supporters of the bill include major trade associations, businesses, and environmental groups including Union Hospital, Schneider Electric, MGM Resorts, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the Maryland Alliance for Energy Contractors, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice, and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, among others.
Quotes
James McGarry, Maryland & DC Policy Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network: “The cheapest and cleanest form of energy is the kind that is never used, thanks to energy efficiency and conservation. This bill will create good-paying jobs in energy efficiency, and help us transition to a clean energy future where our environment is protected for future generations.”
Michael Giangrande, Chairman, Maryland Alliance for Energy Contractors: “As someone who works in energy efficiency, I see firsthand how EmPOWER Maryland is creating jobs and improving people’s lives by saving them money, making their homes more comfortable and keeping electricity costs down.”
Deron Lovaas, Senior Policy Advisor, for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Urban Solutions program: “This is an amazing accomplishment for one of our nation’s most forward-thinking states. EmPOWER Maryland is an example of how common-sense policies like energy efficiency can win support no matter whether you’re a liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat.”
Jessica Ennis, Senior Legislative Representative, Earthjustice: “Clean energy solutions like EmPOWER Maryland are critical to ensuring that we have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.”
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CONTACT: Denise Robbins; denise@chesapeakeclimate.org; 240-396-2022
The Road to Clean Energy Victories in Maryland
My second week at CCAN I stood knee deep in the Baltimore Harbor in a dress and waders cleaning up debris that the tide had washed in. I knew at that moment that I had joined an organization that would do anything to bring clean energy to Maryland. That morning, Mike Tidwell, CCAN’s director, stood waist-deep in the Inner Harbor along with members of the Sierra Club, Working Families, the MD State Chapter of the NAACP, faith and student leaders to show why clean energy was desperately needed in Maryland.
As a broad, diverse coalition spoke behind a podium immersed in water — we began our journey to fight for a 40% clean energy standard in Maryland. The initiative was bold, innovative — yet not impossible. It would take all of us across Maryland working together for years to raise Maryland’s clean energy standard.
We are proud to announce that we have had a momentous year for climate change legislation in Maryland. Governor Hogan signed into law the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act that will slash emissions by 40% by the year 2030. On Monday, April 11th, on the final day of the 2016 session, the Clean Energy Jobs Act passed the Maryland General Assembly. The Clean Energy Jobs Act raises Maryland’s clean electricity standard to 25% by 2020 and opens up new avenues of funding for minority, small and women-owned businesses in the renewable energy industry. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will ensure that Maryland keeps dirty fossil fuels in the ground while diversifying and expanding Maryland’s wind and solar industry.
For those of you that have worked alongside us for the past few years — you know that these victories did not come easily. It took all of us working together and exploring bold new ways to secure a clean energy future for Maryland.
On the opening day of session in 2015, over 200 activists stood out in the bitter, January cold, holding wind turbines and placards demanding a clean energy future for Maryland. Lawyer’s Mall was crowded with legislative champions Senators Feldman and Madaleno along with labor, civil rights, health and faith voices. Trisha Sheehan, of Mom’s Clean Air Force stated, “Children are among the most vulnerable to climate change, especially from extreme heat events, widespread disease and increased air pollution. Maryland has the ability to double its use of clean energy by 2025. We need to act now to cut our reliance on the dirty fossil fuels that are polluting our air and making us sick.”
We worked hard throughout the session to show legislators that reaching a 40% clean energy standard was an achievable goal. A goal that was not only supported by environmentalists — yet was a vital component of our state’s pursuit towards achieving a higher standard of public health, economic well-being and to turn the tide on the injustices that the fossil fuel industry had wrought on low-income and minority communities.
Over a hundred activists gathered once again in Annapolis to meet with their legislators and rally through the night in February of 2015. Despite the tremendous show of support we ultimately did not pass clean energy legislation in the 2015 session. Legislators balked at the idea of a 40% goal and instead we began to work on a 25% by 2020 standard. We knew that if we hit this critical benchmark that it would put us on the trajectory to achieve a 40% clean energy standard by the year 2025, and we could truly double wind and solar in Maryland. The bill failed in the Senate Finance Committee — yet the result of all of our efforts was that we built an unshakeable foundation and garnered the support of powerful Senate leaders and built a groundswell of grassroots activists.
After the 2015 session, we did not rest. Instead we continued to work so that we would flood Annapolis with voices from across Maryland. In September, Pope Francis arrived in D.C. with a message for people of faith and conscious, “Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last 200 years….Yet all is not lost. Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start.”
Faith communities across Maryland answered the Pope’s call to care for creation. Together with Interfaith Power and Light, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network hosted “Climate in the Pulpits” — a statewide effort of faith communities to raise up creation care and climate change in their worship services. On the weekend of September 23rd, over 87 congregations celebrated Climate in the Pulpits by inviting climate activists to give sermons, dedicating their worship message to climate change and signing postcards to their legislators urging them to pass the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act and the Clean Energy Jobs Act. Maryland State Delegate Dereck Davis (D-25 Prince George’s) participated by speaking on clean energy during the Sunday service at Forestville New Redeemer Baptist Church in District Heights. “Pope Francis has reminded us that addressing climate change is one of the great moral issues of our time,” said Del. Davis. “It is imperative that Maryland acts on climate so that we can create real, broad, and sustainable prosperity.”
Communities across Maryland also spoke out for the Maryland Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act (GGRA) — Maryland’s legal mandate to curb greenhouse gas emissions which was set to expire in 2016. The Maryland Climate Commission held meetings across the state from the Eastern Shore to Frostburg, MD. Activists told the Maryland Climate Commission members that not only did they want the to renew the GGRA, they also wanted to strengthen the benchmarks and goals, in order to address the growing threat of climate change.
Next, CCAN and the Maryland Climate Coalition hit the road and embarked on our Energy, Health, and Climate Expo tour throughout Maryland to build a strong alliance of clean energy advocates across the state. Events were held in Baltimore City/County, Charles County, Harford, and Howard Counties. Each event featured our clean energy champions from across the state including — Senator Middleton, Delegate Davis, Delegate Brooks, Delegate Robinson, Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards, and spokespeople from Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s office. Green organizations came together to teach community members about sustainability and how we can work together to combat the growing threat of climate change. This effort culminated in growing our grassroots movement and increased the amount of minorities and low-income community members engaging in our campaigns and advocating for clean energy policies in Maryland.
At the start of the 2016 session, we gained a powerful ally in Maryland State Senator Catherine Pugh, who introduced the Clean Energy Jobs Act — a bill with a landmark $40 million investment in workforce development and grants for small, minority, and women-owned businesses in the renewable energy industry. On the first day of session, Senator Pugh, lead sponsor of the Clean Energy Jobs Act, gathered with key committee leaders at a press conference in support of the Clean Energy Jobs Act and stated, “We’ll grow Maryland’s clean energy economy in a way that increases the diversity of workers and business owners. As we create more than 1,000 new solar jobs per year, we’ll also give more Marylanders pathways to good-paying careers.”
Throughout the 2016 legislative session our activists never let up. After record-setting blizzard Jonas, our activists dug themselves out and attended lobby days urging their legislators to vote YES on both the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act and the Clean Energy Jobs Act. Over the course of the last four months we held over a hundred legislative meetings with many grassroots advocates lobbying for the first time. Tracey Waite, founder of Harford County Climate Action and first time grassroots lobbyist said to one staffer, “When I think about climate change and our future, I feel as if I am in a boat and it has all these holes in it. If someone doesn’t plug the holes then this boat is going to sink. You have the power with both of these bills to stop the ship from sinking, Will you support these bills?”
On March 17, the Maryland General Assembly approved the landmark Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act of 2016. The bill, SB 323/HB 610, renews the 2009 Maryland law that set a goal to reduce climate-polluting greenhouse gas emissions statewide by 25 percent by 2020. The 2016 bill further extends the goal to a 40 percent reduction by 2030, requiring deep, long-term cuts in pollution. It received final approval by the House of Delegates after the Senate approved the bill in a 38-8 bipartisan vote in late February.
The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act commits Maryland to one of the highest climate goals in the country, following California and New York.
Following this victory, Mike Tidwell proclaimed, “This bold, and strikingly bipartisan, commitment to stronger climate action will help protect Maryland’s economy, health, and increasingly flooded shoreline. Our climate-vulnerable state is now leading the way, showing that reducing carbon pollution is not a partisan question, but an urgent necessity.”
And in the final hours of the 2016 Maryland General Assembly, the Clean Energy Jobs Act was sent to Governor Hogan’s desk. The Clean Energy Jobs Act passed with an overwhelming bi-partisan majority of members of the House of Delegates with a vote of 92-43 and in the Senate with a vote of 31-14. Lead Senate Sponsor, Catherine Pugh stated, “This vote is a major step toward growing Maryland’s clean energy economy. This bill will create good-paying jobs and healthier air for communities in Baltimore and across Maryland that urgently need both.”
The journey that started with an underwater press conference in Baltimore City has now spread across the state of Maryland. Thanks to all of you that have made this possible and let’s continue to win more victories for Maryland, for our climate, and for our future.
Eastern Shore Wind Farm vs. Naval Air Station: Take 2
For a second time this year, a proposed wind energy farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is being pitted against a nearby naval air station. The ongoing fight between the Patuxent River Naval Air Station (PAX River) and Pioneer Green’s Great Bay Wind Energy Center has been a false choice between military readiness and renewable energy. “Win-win” solutions are readily available, and they should be implemented quickly so that the entire state can enjoy the benefits of clean energy and a thriving economic base.
In both cases, first in the General Assembly and most recently in Congress, legislation has been introduced that would delay the project indefinitely, in effect killing it. At stake is a land-based wind industry on the Eastern Shore, our ability to meet in-state renewable energy goals, and even the state’s leadership on climate change.
With nearly four years and $4 million invested, Pioneer Green’s Great Bay Wind Energy Center project in Somerset County is shovel-ready. The project would bring 25 turbines, nonpolluting electricity to power about 45,000 homes, and hundreds of jobs to one of the state’s most impoverished rural jurisdictions—plus more than $200 million in local investments. Tragically, the most recent attempts in Congress to scuttle this wind project threatens to erase those benefits and put a chill on future investments in the state. A no-go message to industry could also potentially jeopardize an estimated $1 billion in future wind projects on the Eastern Shore.
The ostensible problem is the wind turbines’ proximity to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station (PAX River). Across the Chesapeake Bay in St. Mary’s County, PAX River operates sensitive radar equipment for testing military aircraft. Because impediments to the radar involve spinning — not stationary — blades, Pioneer and the Navy negotiated a solution: turning off the turbines whenever PAX River needed that. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study indicated that 800 hours per year of such “curtailment” would be a viable solution; Pioneer agreed to turn off the blades 950 to 1,500 hours a year. The stopped turbines won’t give away any top secrets: Wind generators run only 30 percent of the time anyway. More significantly, Pax River often announces its tests, and it launches weather balloons before and after to calibrate radar.
During Take 1 of this controversial fight, the General Assembly passed legislation in April setting a 15-month moratorium on land-based wind farms because of the concern over conflict with PAX River operations. Fortunately, after receiving thousands of emails and letters, Gov. Martin O’Malley vetoed that legislation. “The real threat to Pax River is not an array of wind turbines on the Eastern Shore but rising sea levels caused by climate change,” the governor said. Indeed, to help combat climate change, Maryland has set a goal of supplying 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2022. At present, the state is about halfway towards its renewables goal, but reaching the final target and potentially higher future targets will require more on-shore wind. These clean-energy goals helped draw Pioneer to our state.
But in late July, Sen. Barbara Mikulski took new steps to stymie the project, adding language to a defense appropriations bill that would delay it until completion of another MIT study — even though the negotiated agreement already brings PAX River and the Navy back for more discussion as needed when MIT issues its report.
Also in the background have been fears that the wind project could make the PAX installation an easy target for base realignment and closure, or BRAC. But retired Air Force Col. David Belote — who developed the rules for siting renewable energy for the military and worked for two years as a direct report to the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense responsible for overseeing BRAC preparation and execution — has testified that he sees “zero danger” to PAX River and “no reason to move” the base’s sensitive radar equipment. In fact, Col. Belote stated that “Pax River… is unlikely to close as long as [the Department of Defense] owns airplanes and radars and, therefore, conducts radar cross-section testing–the cost to move or duplicate [the testing radar] would be astronomical, and with a curtailment agreement, there’s no reason to move it.”
All of this is not to undermine in any way the vital economic and national security role that PAX River plays in Southern Maryland. Many checks have long been in place to protect Pax River:
- The Defense Department (DoD) already has to sign off on any project. The Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act of 2011 created a clearinghouse for energy project developers and DoD to work together “to prevent, minimize or mitigate” adverse effects on military operations and national security. By law, the DoD cannot sign off on any agreement that jeopardizes national security. DoD called the Pioneer-Pax agreement a “feasible and affordable mitigation measure.”
- In 2012, the Maryland General Assembly passed a bill that requires any wind farm within 46 miles of Pax River to get approval from the Public Service Commission. That way, the state can weigh in on economic effects of the project. Pioneer still needs to get the required Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity.
Some say that Pioneer can simply wait for the MIT study to be completed and then begin construction. A key problem with these attempts at delay, however, is that they jeopardize Pioneer’s ability to get federal tax credits. If Pioneer has to wait for the MIT study, its eligibility for the credits would expire. In addition, the project needs to execute a final interconnection agreement with our electric grid operators. Indefinite delay makes that agreement nearly impossible to execute, which means that the project would need to restart that 5 year process. These delays threaten this project and the state’s ability to attract future projects because no business can work with such uncertainty.
In its 2013 assessment of the impact of climate change on military installations, the DoD said, “Climate change will have serious implications for the ability of the Department of Defense to maintain its natural and built infrastructure and to ensure military readiness.” The greater threat to our national security is not a wind farm but climate change — which the wind farm would begin to address.
“Win-win” solutions are available today. The curtailment agreement negotiated between Pioneer and the Navy allows the wind farm to move forward now, and the terms of that agreement will bring the two sides back together after MIT completes its latest study to find a more permanent solution. Federal and state officials should welcome renewable energy projects rather than throw up last-minute roadblocks for companies that have invested much, compromised as needed and complied with every requirement.
Governor O’Malley Unveils One of Nation’s Strongest Global Warming Plans
CCAN applauds plan as critical example of climate leadership as our planet passes the carbon pollution danger zone of 400 parts per million
BALTIMORE—Governor Martin O’Malley released today a far-reaching plan to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions in Maryland by 25 percent by 2020. The plan will create an estimated $1.6 billion in economic benefits and create over 37,000 jobs. The plan surpasses California and all states except Massachusetts in its goals, while incorporating carbon reduction and clean energy policies that experts believe are credible and achievable. Today’s release positions Maryland as a national leader in facing the climate change crisis head-on.
“A problem of this magnitude requires tough choices and bold leadership,” said Maryland Senator Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George’s County), sponsor of the 2009 landmark Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act. “Not only is it dangerous and foolhardy to ignore this looming threat, but acting now to mitigate the future damage from climate change can also enrich our state in numerous ways. Today’s plan offers the right mix of policy solutions that will both reduce the dangerous greenhouse gas emissions that are causing global warming while offering the maximum economic benefits for Maryland.”
“In the face of virtually unrecognizable weather and rapidly rising seas, Governor O’Malley is stepping up to lead,” said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “The Governor’s plan is an example that other states should follow, given the intensifying impacts of climate change and the unacceptably slow response on Capitol Hill.”
Activists rally to stop Cuccinelli repeal of VA clean energy law, offer solutions to strengthen it
Appalachian Voices ■ Chesapeake Climate Action Network ■ Sierra Club Virginia Chapter
For Immediate Release
January 17, 2013
Contact:
Beth Kemler, 804-335-0915, beth@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
Dozens of activists hold day of action at the Capitol to call on lawmakers to ‘fix, not nix’ the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, move forward on Virginia wind and solar power
RICHMOND—Dozens of activists from across Virginia converged on the capitol in Richmond today for a rally and day-long action to protest legislation proposed earlier this week by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli that would effectively repeal Virginia’s top clean energy law. The activists joined environmental and health leaders to call on state lawmakers to oppose the repeal and instead strengthen the Renewable Portfolio Standard law so that it fulfills its original intent to spur the development of solar and wind power.