The Frederick County Division of Energy and Environment has been awarded $571,948 from the Maryland Energy Administration as part of its Low-to-Moderate Income Grant Program. These funds will support the Power Saver Retrofits Program, which works to improve home energy efficiency for Frederick County residents.
See the full story at Conduit Street, Maryland Association of Counties.
More DMV News
A Slow Start to Virginia’s Solar Pollinator Program
Virginia Mercury
A state agency may make it easier to stop and smell the flowers by encouraging the planting of more native pollinator species around solar developments.
D.C. Council Pushes Back Against Mayor’s Proposal To Delay Key Climate Policy
DCist
The D.C. council is moving to increase funding for climate and environmental programs after Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed a 14% cut in her budget for the upcoming 2024 fiscal year. The council is also proposing to restore the original timeline for a key climate program, the building energy performance standards, after the mayor asked for a three-year delay.
One Year After Climate Solutions Now Act, Lawmakers Focus on Passing Smaller Climate Bills
Maryland Matters
Offshore wind energy is getting most of the attention. The sector is growing rapidly nationally, and Gov. Wes Moore (D) traveled to industrial development in Baltimore County Friday to sign a bill that could expand the industry in Maryland.
Dominion Seeks Permit for New Coal Ash Landfill in Virginia
The Bay Journal
Dominion Energy is moving forward with plans to build a new coal ash landfill near the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, entering the last chapter of a long debate over how to dispose of the lingering contaminant safely.
National and International News
Supreme Court Deals Blow to Oil Companies Being Sued for Climate Change
National Review
The Supreme Court declined to hear appeals by major oil companies to move climate-change lawsuits against them from state to federal courts, with the latter being far more skeptical of such suits.
EPA Plan Would Impose Drastic Cuts on Power Plant Emissions by 2040
The Washington Post
The Biden administration is preparing to unveil a proposal to require power plants to drastically reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040, another attempt to regulate one of the country’s biggest contributors to climate change after the Supreme Court struck down the first effort, according to three people familiar with the plans.
Biden to Create White House Office of Environmental Justice
New York Times
President Biden on Friday announced the creation of a White House Office of Environmental Justice, one of several actions to address the unequal burden that people of color carry from environmental hazards.
Bi-Directional EV Charging May Become a Requirement in California
Jalopnik
Officials are starting to realize the power potential that EVs have. As global warming brings more extreme weather, EVs can potentially be used to bolster the power grid in some states with blackout-prone grids. One state that has recognized the potential for this is California; KTLA reports a bill is being proposed that would require bi-directional charging capability on EVs in a few short years.
GM to Scrap Chevy Bolt, Its Most Popular and Least Expensive EV
The Washington Post
General Motors will scrap production of its top-selling electric vehicle, the Chevy Bolt, bringing an end this year to one of the U.S. market’s most affordable EVs.