With Republicans on track to win control over both chambers of Congress and Donald Trump returning to the White House in January, the responsibility for keeping the clean energy transition going has passed to states. Maryland, where Democrats hold the governorship and control both chambers of the legislature, is primed to lead that charge from the front, experts and advocates believe.
See the full story at Inside Climate News.
More DMV News
Va.’s Congressional Delegation Calls for Reauthorization of Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act
Virginia Mercury
Members of the Virginia congressional delegation would like to see the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, reauthorized when it expires in less than two years.
Baltimore Utility Awarded $50M Grant for Grid Resilience Projects, Microgrids
Microgrid Knowledge
Baltimore Gas and Electric will use the funds awarded by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program to assess the broad adoption and effectiveness of small-scale microgrids that can serve as community resiliency hubs.
Maryland Officials Spend Millions for Electric School Busses Despite Driver Concerns
Fox45 News
Maryland officials dismiss pushback from a state transportation group and substantial budget concerns in announcing a new million-dollar initiative to purchase electric school buses.
Bay Rivers See Minor Impacts from Hurricane Helene
Bay Journal
During eight days in September, Hurricane Helene quickly swelled into a Category 4 storm that brought rain, flooding, and wind damage as far north as central Virginia.
National and International News
How Trump’s Second Term Could Derail the Clean Energy Transition
Canary Media
The Biden administration has enacted the most consequential federal clean energy and climate policy in U.S. history, giving the nation a fighting chance at reducing greenhouse gas emissions fast enough to address the climate crisis. Former President Donald Trump, who won the 2024 presidential election, has pledged to undo that work.
Lithium-ion Batteries Have Ruled for Decades. Now They Have a Challenger.
Washington Post
Sodium has recently emerged as one of the more promising options, and experts say the material could be a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to lithium.
Five Smart Policies Can Turbocharge Clean US Manufacturing
Canary Media
After decades of stagnation, the U.S. is beginning to see new growth in domestic manufacturing, driven by investments in breakthrough industrial technologies in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These two ambitious pieces of legislation — aiming to help companies cut their pollution, boost their competitiveness, and create jobs — are already paying dividends. But these investments are only a small down payment on the economic, security, and environmental benefits the U.S. could achieve by accelerating the transition to a clean and competitive industry.
It’s Already Official: You’re Living Through the Hottest Year on Record
Grist
Last week, when much of the world’s attention was turned to the U.S. presidential election, scientists from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service crowned 2024 as the hottest year on record — and the first year to surpass the 1.5 degrees Celsius benchmark.
At U.N. Climate Talks, Many Leaders Take a Pass on an ‘Unmissable’ Moment
Washington Post
The annual U.N. Climate Change Conference, or COP29, comes as Earth is on track to endure its hottest year on record, and many top leaders are not attending.