Vote Solar reports that more than 12,500 Maryland residents and businesses have made phone calls, sent emails or appeared at the Capitol in person urging elected officials to support the Clean Energy Jobs Act, which passed the state legislature last month and now sits on Governor Larry Hogan’s desk. The bill would increase Maryland’s renewable energy goal to 50% by 2030, power tens of thousands of local jobs in the solar and wind careers of the future and reduce pollution. Hogan recently signed another pro-solar bill extending the state’s community solar pilot program.

With the May 28 deadline for gubernatorial action on the bill fast approaching, clean energy advocates, faith leaders and businesses are urging the Governor to allow the Clean Energy Jobs Act to become law.

“Bipartisan majorities of Maryland voters want more clean energy powering our communities and our economy, and over the past few months we’ve heard from thousands of local residents who want their state to lead the nation on this issue,” said Pari Kasotia, Mid-Atlantic director for Vote Solar. “We urge Governor Hogan to allow the Clean Energy Jobs Act to become law, inspire new levels of local innovation in the face of the climate crisis, and keep Maryland on its path of renewable energy job creation.”

“Thousands of people of faith throughout Maryland support the Clean Energy Jobs Act for a simple reason: clean energy protects our congregations and communities,” said Avery Davis Lamb, director of Faithful Advocacy for Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA). “We are looking to Governor Hogan to show moral leadership by allowing this bill to become law.”

“The Clean Energy Jobs Act is good for business. It will provide the policy certainty and leadership that Maryland’s growing solar industry needs to be able to invest with confidence in growing their local operations and workforces and to be leaders our nation’s clean energy transition,” said David Murray, executive director of MDV-SEIA. “That’s why 30 solar companies from across Maryland — both small and large — added their names in support of this bill, and today we’re urging the Governor to allow it to become law.”

“The climate crisis is here, and we know Governor Hogan wants to lead the way to address it,” said Brooke Harper, Maryland director of the CCAN Action Fund. “Only by bringing the Clean Energy Jobs Act into law this year would Maryland have a chance to cut carbon emissions at the pace called for by the world’s top scientists. We are counting on the Governor to do the right thing.”

“Solar energy empowers Marylanders to save money and take control of where their electricity comes from. Governor Hogan should sign the Clean Energy Jobs Act to so that more Marylanders can benefit from solar energy,” said Lauren Barchi, director of Solar United Neighbors of Maryland.

“The Clean Energy Jobs Act is critical to our state’s economic and environmental health, putting Maryland on the path to investing in the clean energy economy. We urge Governor Hogan to show leadership by signing this important legislation, and are grateful for the champions in the legislature and the communities who have brought it to pass,” said Karla Raettig, executive director of Maryland League of Conservation Voters.

“We strongly encourage Governor Hogan to allow this bill to become law,” said Bruce Burcat, the executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition. “The benefits to Marylanders are unquestionable from creating new jobs, providing massive economic development gains and reducing carbon emissions. This law will keep Maryland as a leader in promoting renewable energy development for solar and offshore and onshore wind”.

The Clean Energy Jobs Act will become law if Governor Hogan chooses to either sign the bill or to not take action by next week’s veto deadline.

News item from Vote Solar