Maryland Governor Allows 50 Percent Renewable Standard Despite Discontent, Unveils 100 Percent Clean Energy Plan Including Nuclear

Republican Governor Larry Hogan announced on May 22 that he is allowing the Clean Energy Jobs bill, which raises the renewable portfolio standard to 50 percent by 2030, to take effect without his signature, expressing concerns that the measure could send jobs and environmental benefits to other states. Hogan chose to allow the measure to move forward, rather than veto, in the hopes of opening the door for a better clean energy policy.

In a letter to Senate President Thomas Miller, Hogan said that the bill “appears politically motivated,” mandating a “broad and untargeted increase in the RPS.” Hogan added that the measure fails to address land use issues and could inflict harm on economically and environmentally sensitive areas. The bill doubles the state’s RPS from 25 percent by 2020, and includes a 14.5 percent carve-out for solar energy, up from the existing level of 2.5 percent. The legislation also requires new offshore wind capacity, beginning with at least 400 megawatts in 2026, increasing to 800 megawatts in 2028, and 1,200 megawatts in 2030, and creates new application periods for future offshore wind projects under a “Round 2” process. Maryland allows a bill to become law if the governor neither signs nor vetoes the measure within a 30-day window.

Hogan proposed a “Clean and Renewable Energy Standard,” or CARES, which he plans to submit to the General Assembly on the first day of the 2020 legislative session. The plan calls for 100 percent clean electricity by 2040, using competition to get better results at a lower cost to ratepayers instead of “increasing the quotas for dirty energy and outdated technologies,” Hogan said. In addition to using low-carbon and renewable energy, the plan would incorporate nuclear energy, advance carbon capture and storage, and utilize energy-efficient combined heat and power.