Climate Bill Accelerating Maryland's Shift From Fossil Fuels Set to Become Law

09 Apr 2022 | Abstracted from Baltimore Sun

A bill to accelerate Maryland's transition away from fossil fuels will become law, setting goals to cut the state's greenhouse gas emissions 60% below 2006 levels by 2031 and virtually eliminate the state’s carbon footprint by 2045.

The legislation had been widely expected to appear on a list of vetoes Gov. Larry Hogan presented Friday evening, ahead of the General Assembly's adjournment for the year on Monday. Hogan had called it a "reckless and controversial energy tax bill" as soon as floor debate began in the Senate last month, though it doesn't actually include any tax policies.

But the Republican is allowing the measure to become law, a step environmentalists have said puts Maryland back into the forefront of states taking action to combat climate change, caused by a buildup of emissions in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels.

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