Broad Range of Stakeholders Call on Governor to Improve Successful Clean Energy and Anti-Pollution Program
Environment Maryland
Nineteen Maryland organizations, businesses, and officials joined with more than 300 others in calling on Governor Martin O’Malley and other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic governors to build on progress reducing pollution and promoting clean energy by improving the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The coalition – which includes environmental and public health organizations, consumer advocates, and clean energy and mainstream businesses – highlighted RGGI’s success to date and called for strengthening of the program’s pollution reduction targets and increasing investment in clean energy and energy efficiency measures that benefit the climate, the economy, public health, and energy consumers.
[For more information about the effectiveness of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the impact that global warming is having on extreme weather patterns, see our recent reports “A Record of Leadership: How Northeastern States are Cutting Global Warming Pollution and Building a Clean Economy” and “When It Rains, It Pours: Global Warming and the Increase in Extreme Precipitation from 1948 to 2011.”]
“More than any time in recent history, the public is focused on the dangerous impacts of a warming planet,” said Connor Acle, Field Organizer with Environment Maryland. “Maryland has been a leader in tackling carbon pollution, and RGGI has been a key element of Maryland’s effort to reduce pollution from fossil fuels and shift to clean energy. It is critical that we strengthen RGGI in order to build on its past success and actually achieve our global warming pollution reduction goals.”
In 2009, Governor O’Malley signed into law the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions Act, which requires that the state cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 25 percent below 2006 levels by 2020.
Officials from the ten states involved in the program are currently evaluating options for improving RGGI as part of a review process established when the program was launched. The coalition of signatories on this letter hopes that officials will use this process to strengthen the initiative now.
“At a time when our region is suffering from increasingly frequent extreme weather events and the lingering economic slowdown, RGGI has emerged as a policy prescription for both,” said Mike Tidwell, Director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Making polluters pay for much needed energy efficiency programs lowers electricity consumption, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, saves money for ratepayers, and creates good jobs.”
Indeed, independent analysis has shown that RGGI’s impact on the economies of participating states has been positive, boosting net economic output by $1.6 billion and creating over 16,000 “jobs years.” [1]
“Clean energy, including energy efficiency and renewable energy, has been a bright spot for the economy in this region, helping our company grow from 1 to 8 employees,” said Bob Logston, President of Home Energy Loss Professionals, a local company that focuses on making homes more energy efficient. “We are seeing the economic benefits of shifting our region to a lower carbon economy. The experience to date should give us the confidence that we can do much more, and strengthening RGGI is a key part of that.”
Strengthening RGGI will mean that more energy efficiency companies like Home Energy Loss Professionals can save taxpayers additional money on their energy bill.
“This annually recurring, tax-free discretionary income is spent by homeowners to further boost the local economy, spurring additional economic growth without a taxpayer burden,” says Kerry Hollenbeck, President of Advantage Diagnostics, an Elkton based company that specializes preventing home energy loss. “All taxpayers and businesses within the RGGI region are experiencing these direct economic benefits. Our experience to date has been very positive allowing Advantage Diagnostics to grow. Further strengthening RGGI can only be a positive for the region.”
Initial projections have shown that updating the program’s targets to deliver a 15% reduction in carbon dioxide pollution by 2020 would help address the health impacts of climate change, and would avoid thousands of tons of toxic emissions linked to smog, ground-level ozone, and related health impacts. The 20% reduction called for in the letter would deliver even greater benefits.
“Burning fossil fuels is bad for our health,” said Dr. Catherine Thomasson, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility. “Policies like RGGI that reduce air pollution from burning coal and oil are a prescription for a healthy future for our kids.”
Charging power companies for their pollution not only provides resources to reinvest in energy efficiency, clean energy and other public benefit programs, but also replaces fossil fuels imports with local spending that benefits consumers and the economy.
Shannon Baker-Branstetter, Energy and Environment Policy Counsel for Consumers Union, an independent group that researches products and policies to protect consumers, stated: “In Maryland, RGGI provides essential support for programs that save consumers money, reduce energy consumption, and weatherize homes to be more efficient and comfortable.”
[1] Analysis Group, 2011, The Economic Impacts of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative on Ten Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States, available at: http://www.analysisgroup.
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Dear Governor O’Malley,
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a key part of Maryland and the Northeast Region’s strategy to reduce pollution from fossil fuels, improve energy efficiency and shift to clean energy. By limiting carbon pollution from power plants, requiring emitters to buy permits to pollute and investing the revenues in energy efficiency and renewable energy, RGGI has helped Maryland meet our environmental and energy challenges while curbing dependence on fossil fuels and saving consumers money. RGGI-funded investments are also benefiting our state economically; boosting economic growth by $127 million and creating 1,370 jobs during the first two and a half years of operation. The undersigned organizations and individuals urge state officials to keep Maryland on a path to a cleaner, more prosperous energy future by improving RGGI in the following ways:
1) Adjust the cap to ensure that it reduces emissions 20% below current levels by 2020 and is on track to reduce emissions by, at least 80% by 2050
2) Ensure that the revenues from the RGGI program are invested in energy efficiency and renewable energy options that will save energy, lower costs create local jobs and reduce pollution
3) Prevent loopholes that will undermine the effectiveness of the program in achieving its emission reduction targets
Sincerely,
National and Regional Organizations
Advanced Energy Economy
Appalachian Mountain Club
Clean Air Cool Planet
Clean Water Action
Conservation Law Foundation
Conservation Services Group
Consumers Union
Delaware Riverkeeper
ENE (Environment Northeast)
Environment America
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2)
Health Care Without Harm
Interfaith Power and Light
National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of its low income clients
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
New England Clean Energy Council
Northeast Energy Efficiency Council
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships
Physicians for Social Responsibility
The Solar Alliance
Union of Concerned Scientists
STATE SIGNATORIES
Maryland
Advantage Diagnostics, LLC
Amicus Green Building Center, LLC
Aqua Well Drilling, LLC
brennan + company architects
Center for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Clean Water Action (Maryland chapter)
Ecobeco LLC
Efficiency First, Maryland Chapter
Friends of Harford
Green Homes Blue Sky LLC
Home Energy Loss Professionals (Baltimore, MD)
Maryland League of Conservation Voters
Montgomery Countryside Alliance
Montgomery County Councilman George Leventhal
Physicians for Social Responsibility, Chesapeake Chapter
Queen Anne’s Conservation Association
Sierra Club
Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry for Maryland
Connecticut
350 Connecticut
Audubon Connecticut
Clean Water Action Connecticut
Connecticut Forest and Park Association
Connecticut Fund for the Environment
Earth Markets, LLC
Energy Federation, Inc.
Energy Solutions, LLC
Enviro Energy Connections
Environment Connecticut
Environmental Headlines
Fuss & O’Neill, Inc.
Interreligious Eco-Justice Network
Live Green Connecticut
New England Conservation Services
New England Smart Energy Group, LLC
New Haven Environmental Justice Network
New Haven/Leon Sister City Project
Sierra Club – Connecticut Chapter
The League of Women Voters of Connecticut
The Watershed Partnership, Inc.
Delaware
American Institute of Architects, Delaware Chapter
Brandywine Sprouts, a Chapter of Roots & Shoots International
Citizens for Clean Power
Coalition for Climate Change Study and Action
Delaware Audubon Society
Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club
Delaware Greenways
Delaware Interfaith Power and Light
Delaware League of Women Voters
Delaware Nature Society
Delaware NESEA, the Delaware Chapter of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
Delaware Pacem in Terris
Delaware Riverkeeper Network
Newark Branch NAACP
Sustainable Delaware
Sustainable Economic Development Strategies LLC
University of Delaware Students for the Environment
Maine
American Nurses Association – Maine
Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
Engage Maine
Environment Maine
Green Earth Energy
Hammersaw Solar
Heliotropic Technologies
Maine Audubon
Maine Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
Maine Conservation Voters
Maine Council of Churches
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
Maine Public Health Association
Maine Solar Energy Association
MaineStream Energy Alternatives dba/Saco Solar Store
Mountain Riders Alliance
Mt. Abram (Ski Mountain)
Natural Resources Council of Maine
Physicians for Social Responsibility, Maine Chapter
Product Policy Institute
ReVision Energy
Sierra Club Maine
Unity College
Massachusetts
Action for Boston Community Development, Inc.
Amy Perlmutter, Perlmutter Associates
Andrew Magee, Senior Consultant, Epsilon Associates
Anne Johnson, Green Harmony
Appleton Corporation
Aspen Aerogels, Inc.
Bedford Global Warming Action Committee
Berl Hartman, E2 New England Chapter Director, Hartman Consulting
Better Future Project
Big Belly Solar
Birth Tree Capital
Black Coral Capital
BlueWave Capital
Borrego Solar
Boston Climate Action Network
BrightWork, Inc.
Cape Air
Cape Codders for Peace and Justice
Chelmsford Climate Action Network
Cleantech InnoVenture Center
Coalition for Social Justice
David Miller, Executive Managing Director, Clean Energy Venture Group
Dianne Callan, Independent Legal Consulting, Green Tech Legal
Dynamo Micropower Corporation
EMI Energy
Energy Action
Energy Compression, Inc.
Energy Consumers Alliance of New England
EnerNOC
Environment Massachusetts
Environmental League of Massachusetts
Falmouth Climate Action Team
Eric Grunebaum, Producer, The Last Mountain
Essex Hydro
First Wind
FloDesign Wind Turbine Corporation
Fuss & O’Neill, Inc.
Gehrlicker Solar America Corp
George Matouk Jr., CEO, John Matouk & Co.
Global Warming Education Network
GreatPoint Energy
Green Acton
Green Decade Newton
Green Medford
Hamilton Wenham GREEN
Harvest Power, Inc.
Horizon Solutions
Insulation Retrofit Systems
Jim Boyle, President & CEO, Sustainability Roundtable, Inc
KeyBanc Capital Markets
Lenox Environmental Committee
Lexington Global Warming Action Committee
Low-income Energy Affordability Network
Madera Energy
Maple Hill Architects, LLC
Massachusetts Association for Community Action
Massachusetts Audubon Society
Massachusetts Climate Action Network
Massachusetts Council of Churches
Massachusetts Energy Directors Association
Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters
Massachusetts Sierra Club Chapter
Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance
Meister Consulting Group
Mitch Tyson, Principle, Tyson Associates
Monkeytech International
Myriant
New Fuels Alliance
Nexamp
Nicole Peoll- Moelter, Director of Environmental Sustainability, Akamai Technologies
Nuestras Raices (Holyoke)
Peregrine Energy Group
Pilgrim MUST
Pilgrim Watch
Power Options
Reflection Films
Resolute Marine Energy, Inc.
Russ Landon, Managing Director, Head of Clean Technology Group, KeyBanc Capital Markets
Sahir Surmeli, Corporate & Securities Practice, Energy and Clean Technology, Information Technology, and Life Sciences Practices, Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo
Salem Alliance for the Environment
Solventerra
Somerville Climate Action
Stratex Energy
Sustainable Arlington
Sustainable Energy Advantage
Sustainable Milton
Sustainable Wellesley
Tedd Saunders, Co-Owner, The Saunders Hotel Group
Timothy Havel, Energy Compression Inc.
Tom Clay, CEO, Xtalic Corporation
Veolia Energy
Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety
Wilson Solar Power
Wind Action Committee
New Hampshire
Conservation New Hampshire
Energy Federation, Inc. (EFI)
Environment New Hampshire
Fuss & O’Neill, Inc
Green Alliance (Sustainable Entrepreneurs)
New Hampshire Audubon
Sierra Club New Hampshire Chapter
Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
New Jersey
350 NJ
Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions
Climate Mama
Delaware Riverkeeper Network
Environment New Jersey
Genesis Farm
Grandmothers Mothers and More for Energy Safety
GreenFaith
League of Women Voters New Jersey
New Jersey Audubon Society
New Jersey Citizen Action
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
New Jersey Environmental Federation
New Jersey Environmental Lobby
New Jersey Work Environment Council
New Jersey Highlands Coalition
New Jersey Sierra Club
North Jersey Public Policy Network
Pinelands Preservation Alliance
Raritan Headwaters Association
Scott Olson, Deputy Mayor, Byram Township, NJ
New York
Adirondack Council
Alliance for Clean Energy New York
Arnold P. Wendroff, PhD of the Mercury Poisoning Project
Arthur H. Kopelman, Ph. D., SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and Professor of Science, FIT Department of Science and Mathematics
AWS Truepower, LLC
Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy
Center for Medical Consumers
Center for Working Families
Chenango Clean Energy Service Corps
Chhaya Community Development Corporation
Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Citizens’ Environmental Coalition
Clean and Healthy New York
Community Environmental Center
Cowles & Company Contracting
Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition
Earth Kind Solar Energy
Empire State Future
Energy by Choice
Environment New York
Environmental Advocates of New York
Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2)
Federated Conservationists of Westchester County
Florence W. Liddell, Environmental Advocate
Free Lighting Corp
Grassroots Environmental Education
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.
Kalex Energy Co.
Long Island City Business Development Corp.
Long Island Progressive Coalition
Michael Connolly, Partner, Morrison Cohen, LLP
Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City, Inc. of Staten Island
New York Assembly member Alan Maisel
New York Assembly member Deborah J. Glick
New York Assembly member Naomi Rivera
New York City Council member Letitia James
New York Interfaith Power & Light
New York League of Conservation Voters
New York Public Interest Research Group
New York Solar Energy Industries Association
Northern Westchester Energy Action
NYSUT
NYU Global Greening Initiative
PEF/EnCon- Division 169 of the NYS Public Employees Federation
Powersmith Home Energy Solutions
PUSH Buffalo
Renewable Energy Long Island
Rural Ulster Preservation Company
Solar One
Solaris, LLC
Stephen O. Wilson, former Executive Director, now Emeritus Hudson River Environmental Society
Sustainable South Bronx
Sustainable Tompkins
The Catskill Center for Conservation & Development
The Honorable Matthew T. Ryan, Mayor of Binghamton, NY
The Oblong Land Conservancy
Theresa Swidorski, Legislative Director for Member of the Assembly Glick
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
WESPAC Foundation
Rhode Island
Aspen Aerogels, Inc.
BCX Energy
Clean Water Action Rhode Island
ENTECH Engineering
Environment Rhode Island
Green Energies, LLC
Kurt Teichert, Brown University Center for Environmental Studies
Newport Solar
Northeast Solar and Wind, LLC
People’s Power and Light
Rise Engineering
SPG Renewables
Wallace Lees, Burrville Town Council
Vermont
350 Vermont
Audubon Vermont
Central Vermont Community Action Council
Clean Crowd
Energy Futures Group
Renewable Energy Vermont
Shelter Analytics
Sierra Club Vermont
Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
Vermont Natural Resources Council
Vermont Public Interest Research Group
Cc: Robert Summers, Secretary, Maryland Department of the Environment
Maryland Public Utility Commissioners
Malcolm Woolf, Director, Maryland Energy Administration