Unprecedented number of Maryland candidates for Senate and House sign resolution supporting legislation to dramatically expand wind and solar power in Maryland.
Business owners from Ellicott City also call on Governor Hogan to support the Clean Energy Jobs Initiative.
ANNAPOLIS, MD — On Tuesday, June 12, advocacy groups revealed the unprecedented number of candidates for the Maryland General Assembly and the Governor’s office who have endorsed the Maryland Clean Energy Jobs Initiative. This policy would double the use of wind and solar and other renewables in Maryland — powering half the electrical grid — by 2030. It would also create thousands of jobs and make the state a national leader in the renewable energy field.
More than 250 candidates for the Maryland State Senate and the House of Delegates have signed this resolution. This never-before-seen level of support by candidates means that a majority, and possibly a supermajority, of those likely to be elected to the State Senate and House of Delegates have already pledged their support for the Clean Energy Jobs Act. The list also includes a majority of likely committee chairs in both chambers as well as nearly all the major candidates for Governor.
See the full list of 256* official candidate endorsers here.
Well-known policy advocate Vincent DeMarco helped lead this initiative, using a campaign strategy similar to past successful efforts on health care and gun violence prevention. But the more than 250 candidates signing the clean energy petition is by far the most of any past DeMarco campaign on any issue, signaling the overwhelming popularity of wind and solar advancement.
Twenty businesses from downtown Ellicott City have also endorsed the Clean Energy Jobs Initiative, prior to the May 27 floods. After the floods, two business owners sent a letter to Governor Hogan asking him to discontinue his support for fracked gas and new pipelines, and to support the Clean Energy Jobs Act instead.
Clean energy solutions to climate change have never been more important in Maryland. The devastating floods in Ellicott City prove that Maryland needs to at least double its use of renewable electricity as fast as possible — which this legislation would achieve — while also setting a course for 100% clean power as fast as possible. Further, the solar tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration earlier this year will cause Maryland to lose 800 solar jobs this year alone. The Clean Energy Jobs Act would support and retain 20,000 clean energy jobs in our state, and help ensure a just transition to an economy powered entirely by clean energy.
The Clean Energy Jobs Initiative enjoys the endorsement of more than 660 Maryland faith congregations, businesses, community associations, non-profits and municipalities. Polling shows that 71% of Marylanders support this bill, including in several key swing districts. The legislation was cosponsored by a majority of lawmakers in both chambers of the General Assembly during the 2018 legislative session.
The majority of Marylanders support expanding clean energy jobs, and on Tuesday the campaign announced which candidates for General Assembly have committed to being supportive.
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CCAN Action Fund is the sister organization of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the first grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to fighting global warming in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
The Maryland Clean Energy Jobs Initiative brings people together to work for a better Maryland by enacting legislation to ensure that 50% of Maryland’s electricity comes from renewable sources by 2030. For more information go to: www.cleanenergyjobs.org
