Climate Clips: County Plan Paints Path to Emission Reductions, Climate Resilience

Frederick County officials have released a bold plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from county operations and prepare county infrastructure and employees in the face of climate change.

See the full story at the Frederick News-Pilot.

More DMV News

Advocates Say County Needs to Emphasize Electrification to Reach Carbon Neutrality by 2050
ARLNow
When a member of Arlington County’s climate change committee took the dais earlier this month, she told the Planning Commission that she had good and bad news.

Climate Calling: Moore-Miller Administration Plan Multi-Agency Approach to Climate Change
Maryland Matters
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) and other top state officials gathered at the University of Maryland Baltimore County on Wednesday to discuss how state government plans to encourage clean energy and reduce the effects of climate change during a forum that included community members and students from the university.

DC Council Considers Funding to Switch 30,000 Residents From Gas to Electric
WUSA-9
The DC Council will get a first look at a bill that would help some families replace gas appliances in their homes.

Data Center Boom Prompts Fairfax County to Take New Look at Rules, Environmental Impacts
FFXNow
As Northern Virginia continues to cement its position as a global base for data centers, Fairfax County leaders say the time has come to reevaluate the impact of the facilities and potentially set some boundaries for the future.

National and International News

We Need An Area the Size of Texas For Wind and Solar. Here’s How to Halve It.
Washington Post
Imagine that all 4.05 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed in the United States last year were supplied by a single source of power rather than a mixture of different technologies. This is how much land each power source would require.

EPA Proposes Power Plant Greenhouse Gas Limits With Carbon Capture, ‘Green’ Hydrogen Main Compliance Options
Utility Dive
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed greenhouse gas emissions limits for coal-, gas- and oil-fired power plants, with initial requirements beginning in 2030 for coal-fired generators and 2032 for gas-fired units.

4 Answers on EPA’s Looming Power Plant Rules
E&E News
The Biden administration is expected to plunge Thursday into a transformation of the U.S. power industry — by requiring utilities to either reduce or capture their planet-warming pollution.

Here’s What Local Climate Action Looks Like in Small-Town USA
Canary Media
When it comes to climate change solutions, a long-standing debate has divided activists: Is it better to work toward individual behavior change (think recycling and cutting down on driving) or systemic change (for example, ending fossil fuel subsidies)? The truth, though, is that both tasks are necessary. To adequately address the climate crisis, we need an all-of-the-above approach.

DOE Proposes Framework for National Transmission Corridors to Spur New Lines, Ease Grid Congestion
Utility Dive
The Department of Energy on Tuesday released a proposed framework for designating National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors, or NIETCs, for specific transmission projects.