According to The Baltimore Sun, three Maryland lawmakers are hoping to increase the amount of Maryland's electricity that comes from renewable sources, as well as spend $40 million on training for "green jobs" expected to be in higher demand in the future.
Sen. Catherine Pugh, Del. Dereck Davis and Sen. Rich Madaleno recently announced their plan to sponsor legislation requiring 25 percent of the state's electricity to come from renewable resources by 2020. This will accelerate the state's current plan to reach 20 percent by 2022.
Increasing this timetable, the three also hope to spend $40 million on job skills training to install solar panels and improve the overall efficiency of buildings.
"This is not a choice between addressing climate change and improving our economy," said Davis, chairman of the Economic Matters Committee and a Prince George's County lawmaker. "It's both."
Many advocates of the change believe it will create 2,000 new jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The higher percentage of renewable energy sources for electricity, though, may come at some cost for rate payers. This switch would cost about 52 cents per rate payer for year, according to a finding from the Sustainable Energy Advantage.
Energy efficiency and climate control remain hot button issues across the globe, especially in light of the Paris Climate Changes meetings.
Enhancing the energy efficiency measures in your home, though seemingly small, can make a large impact. To learn more about the efficiency of your home or to schedule an energy audit, contact Alban Inspections today.
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