Testimony on HB 166 “Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Eligible Sources - Alterations”
Testimony On: HB 166 “Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Eligible Sources - Alterations” (Reclaim Renewable Energy Act of 2024)
Committee: Economic Matters
Position: Support
Date: March 5, 2024
Honorable Chair Wilson and Members of the Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit this statement for the record. On behalf of Sugarloaf Citizens Association, we strongly SUPPORT HB 166 - The Reclaim Renewable Energy Act of 2024.
In order to achieve our greenhouse gas emission goals here in Montgomery County and throughout the state of Maryland we must put all our subsidy dollars toward truly clean energy. These must be industries that produce no greenhouse gases. According to the EPA, the Montgomery County RRF puts approximately 600,000 tons of greenhouse gas (CO2e) in the air annually. This is more than double what Covanta reports in their PR materials because they discount all the GHG’s that come from anything organic (food scraps, paper, wood, leather etc). They claim it will regrow so somehow those GHG’s don’t matter. This makes no sense to us and luckily we have the data from the EPA to show an accurate reading of the climate damaging effects of incineration. By keeping trash incineration in the RPS we are subsidizing this GHG emitter and, more importantly, taking away from the expansion of wind and solar production – industries we desperately need to combat global warming.
While George Bush was still governor of Texas, he signed a Renewable Portfolio Standard bill into law. The Texas RPS law caused the dirty utilities to have to invest in truly renewable energy. They turned to wind power, making Texas second to California in wind generation and causing more wind power to be installed in Texas (912 MW) than in the rest of the U.S. combined (775 MW) in 2001 (!) This is the power of a CLEAN RPS.
We are already faced with budget demands for millions of dollars in programs to mitigate the effects of climate change - rising sea levels, flooding in streets, cities and farm fields and a massive influx of asylum seekers desperate to escape drought and famine in their own countries. We absolutely must do everything we can here in Maryland to halt these devastating climactic changes.
Thank you for your attention.
Lauren Greenberger
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Sugarloaf Citizens Association