Advocates of Maryland’s efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions have mostly touted the potential benefits of fighting climate change, improving air quality, and boosting public health. But a newly released working draft of a plan to reduce those emissions acknowledges that some of the gains could spill over into another one of the state’s top environmental missions: cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.
See the full story at The Bay Journal.
More DMV News
Budget Standoff Holds Up Amendment to Staff Va. Electric Utility Commission
Virginia Mercury
The continued failure of Democrats and Republicans to agree to amendments to Virginia’s two-year budget is tying up funding for six staff members for the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation, a body the General Assembly voted to reinvigorate this past session.
How Amazon’s HQ2 Pushes the (building) Envelope on Embodied Carbon
Energy News Network
It’s clear Amazon thought outside its own ubiquitous brown cardboard box when sketching blueprints for its second headquarters.
Quantum Loophole Environmental Management Plan Revoked Due to Past Violations
The Frederick News-Post
The Maryland Department of the Environment withdrew approval on May 25 for Quantum Loophole’s environmental management plan for its planned campus of data centers on the former Alcoa Eastalco smelting plant site due to numerous work and environmental violations.
Pepco Violation Could Cost Community Solar Owners Thousands
NPR
After regulators ruled that Pepco violated D.C. law in its implementation of community solar in the city, the utility company is telling solar owners they will need to manually track solar generation, entering thousands of lines of data each month and potentially costing thousands of dollars.
National and International News
2023 is On Track to Be the Hottest Year on Record
Washington Post
This year is increasingly likely to become the hottest year on record due to a rapidly strengthening El Niño weather pattern and unprecedentedly hot summer.
7 in 10 Say They’ve Heard Little or Nothing About Inflation Reduction Act Since Passage: Poll
The Hill
Seven in 10 Americans in a new poll say they’ve heard little or nothing about the Inflation Reduction Act nearly a year after President Biden signed Democrats’ massive climate and tax bill into law.
The Grid Isn’t Ready For the EV Boom. Can Better Data Fix That?
Canary Media
Utilities are at risk of falling behind on the grid upgrades necessary to deal with the electric vehicle revolution. More EVs mean much more electricity demand, and if utilities don’t plan and build ahead of that growth, they risk creating years-long grid-upgrade backlogs that could leave EV-charging stations stranded without power.
America Needs Clean Electricity. These States Show How To Do It.
Washington Post
If humans escape climate scientists’ gloomiest projections, if we buy ourselves time to adapt to higher seas and fiercer heat waves, we will likely use more electricity than we do now, and we will make it without emitting greenhouse gases.
Solar, Wind Provided Majority of New US Generating Capacity in First Half of 2023
Electrek
Utility-scale solar and wind provided over half of new US generating capacity added in the first half of 2023, according to new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) data.