Maryland

Climate advocates hope to clean up Maryland’s renewable energy by taking out the trash

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2024

Climate advocates hope to clean up Maryland’s renewable energy by taking out the trash

For years, Maryland climate activists have fought to repeal a law passed in 2011 meant to encourage the construction of new trash incinerators in Frederick County and South Baltimore, which were never built.

The law subsidizes burning trash to create energy as renewable, placing it on par with wind and solar, despite the carbon emissions and air pollution it releases. The activists want to kill that subsidy and reserve the money for solar panels and wind turbines, as the state pursues significant reductions in carbon emissions in coming years.

This year, environmentalists began the General Assembly session with renewed hope.

The Maryland Department of the Environment released a massive climate plan in December, and inside it, the idea of removing trash-burning from “Tier 1” of the state’s renewables portfolio received support from state government for the first time. Also, this year’s legislation to address the issue focuses solely on nixing waste-burning, instead of pursuing other reforms at the same time. Some legislators said that could make the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act easier to advance than previous attempts.

But time is running short, with a deadline looming Monday for the bill to pass either the House of Delegates or the Senate — or face a dramatically narrower channel to passage. The bill remains in committee in both chambers, with no pledges from the administration of Democratic Gov. Wes Moore or legislative leaders that it will move forward.

“This is the year. Communities can’t afford to wait,” said Carlos Sanchez, a young activist and lifelong resident of South Baltimore’s Lakeland neighborhood, who grew up with a trash incinerator’s smokestack on the skyline. “This is like the seventh year that the General Assembly is considering the bill, and it would be just unfair to make us fight again for an eighth.”

The governor’s office did not address the legislation when asked specifically about it, while saying Moore “looks forward to reviewing legislation that passes through the state legislature this session” and “enacting legislation that is in the best interest of all Marylanders.” Neither Senate President Bill Ferguson’s office nor Del. C.T. Wilson, chair of the economic matters committee that is handling the bill on the House side, responded to requests for comment.

When Maryland debuted its renewable energy subsidy program in 2004, waste-burning was placed in a lower tier, beneath wind, solar and geothermal energy. For incinerators, the incentive also had an end date attached: 2018. But in 2011, with new incinerator proposals under consideration in Maryland — including the second trash incinerator for South Baltimore — industry lobbyists argued that trash-burning should be elevated. And Maryland legislators agreed.

Amid community pushback, a new Baltimore incinerator was never constructed. But the renewable energy designation continues to frustrate communities surrounding the facility in Westport, now operated by a company called WIN Waste. Though municipal waste incinerators produce energy, they also release greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, including particulate matter, mercury, lead and carbon monoxide. The WIN Waste incinerator has been categorized as Baltimore’s biggest single source of air pollution.

WIN Waste opposes the effort to change Maryland’s renewable portfolio, as does Covanta, which runs Maryland’s other waste incinerator, owned by Montgomery County.

In testimony to the General Assembly, WIN Waste argued that burning trash to create energy offsets the burning of fossil fuels for power, though it isn’t as clean as solar panels and wind turbines. The practice is also an improvement over hauling waste to landfills, particularly if that waste must travel long distances, company officials said. They point to the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s waste hierarchy, which still places so-called “waste-to-energy” over landfilling, to the ire of environmental groups focused on the health and climate harms of incineration.

Tons of trash makes its way to one of a series of incinerators at WIN Waste Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)

WIN Waste also touted $45 million in recent facility upgrades, including to the facility’s pollution control system, and $1 million in annual donations to environmental programs and other community initiatives in the city.

WIN Waste received $4.2 million through the state’s renewable energy purchase program in 2022, the latest year for which data was available, according to an analysis of state data by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and other nonprofits. WIN declined to confirm the figure, but said, the payments “represent a small percentage of the cost to convert waste to energy, but are a significant contributor to our charitable gifts, nonprofit partnerships, environmental upgrades and to offer competitive wages to our local team members,” WIN Waste spokesperson Mary Urban said in a statement.

Both of the incinerator companies operating in Maryland make millions in annual profits, said Del. Vaughn Stewart, a Montgomery County Democrat who sponsored this year’s legislation. Neither company has argued that losing the subsidies would cause a shutdown, he said.

“They will not feel this hit. They will not even know it’s gone,” Stewart said. “They still want the money, but that’s because they have a fiduciary duty to maximize shareholder value.”

It wouldn’t be the first time the legislature reduced the renewables portfolio. In 2021, lawmakers nixed black liquor, a sludge byproduct of the paper-making process that can be burned to create energy.

Climate advocates argue leaving trash incineration in the renewables mix crowds out other, cleaner power sources that could be bolstered by the payments. As of the most recent reporting year in 2022, trash incineration made up about 7% of the payments.

The analysis from PEER found that incinerators have received $100 million through the Maryland program since 2012. The nonprofit’s projections indicate that such payments could balloon due to rising costs, with an additional $200 million spent by 2030, even though the amount of energy produced by the incinerators per credit they receive isn’t increasing.

Leaving trash incineration in the renewable category has other side effects, said Jennifer Kunze, Maryland organizing director with Clean Water Action. For one thing, she said, it taints the governor’s goal of getting the state to rely 100% on clean energy by 2035.

“We really need to deal with the trash incinerator question this year in 2024 to clear the way to be able to have a strong campaign for 100% clean energy,” Kunze said.

Also, in a year where the budget is tight, the bill should have an advantage, Kunze said.

“This is a bill that makes hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade available to support renewable energy without costing the state a cent,” Kunze said.

Trash heads to one of a series of 2,500-degree incinerators at WIN Waste Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)

Meanwhile, MDE’s climate plan warns that $1 billion annually will be needed for the state to achieve its climate goals, including a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2031 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.

In the eyes of WIN Waste, Urban said, trash incineration should be left in the state’s renewable energy portfolio because it is a category with significant in-state generation, compared to other categories.

By subsidizing WIN Waste, Maryland ratepayers are supporting a facility that provides 80 full-time jobs to Marylanders, Urban said, while addressing the waste management needs of Baltimore and surrounding jurisdictions, some of which are struggling with landfill capacity woes.

“We feel like we fit in it, in numerous ways,” Urban said.

Many local advocates are pushing for an end to waste incineration in the city. In 2021, when the WIN Waste incinerator’s contract was up for consideration, local groups called for the city not to renew it. Instead, the city gave the facility a green light for another 10 years.

Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott has vowed to shift the city from incineration over the next decade. But the incinerator likely would continue operating in the absence of similar pledges from the other jurisdictions that send it trash.

With a major increase in infrastructure for composting and recycling, such as a citywide food scrap collection program, and a resident education campaign, the city could end its reliance on the incinerator, said Dante Swinton, an environmental activist and executive director of the nonprofit Our Zero Waste Future.

This year’s General Assembly bill won’t accomplish that, but it would set the state on a positive trajectory, Swinton said.

“Every time it seems like we’re going somewhere with [the bill], there’s always a group of folks who buy into this idea that we desperately need the incinerator, we’ll be totally screwed if we don’t have it,” he said.

“I hope we just have a few more voices willing to go against the status quo,” Swinton said.

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What to Expect: IU basketball travels to Maryland

Published

26 minutes ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

What to Expect: IU basketball travels to Maryland

Indiana is back on the road for a matchup with Maryland on Wednesday night at the Xfinity Center. The Hoosiers, winners of three straight, are in search of their first road win this season.

The Terrapins are 7-7 and 0-3 under first-year coach Buzz Williams. Wednesday’s game is set for a 6:30 p.m. ET tipoff on BTN:

After a Sweet Sixteen appearance last season, Maryland was forced to completely flip its roster in the offseason when Kevin Willard left College Park for Villanova.

Injuries and inconsistent play have the Terps off to a slow start in the first season of the Buzz Williams era. Maryland is currently projected to finish 12-19 and 5-15 in the Big Ten, per KenPom.com.

Indiana, meanwhile, has been excellent at home and poor away from Bloomington. The Hoosiers beat a bad Marquette team in Chicago by 23 early in the season, but have lost their other three games away from Assembly Hall. IU fell by 9 to Minnesota, by 9 to Louisville in Indianapolis and by 12 to Kentucky in Lexington.

Winning on the road in the Big Ten is difficult, but the Hoosiers have solid opportunities for success away from Bloomington this month with trips to Maryland and Rutgers.

MEET THE TERRAPINS

Maryland’s leading scorer, big man Pharrel Payne, has missed three straight games after suffering a knee injury in a loss to Michigan in College Park on Dec. 13. Payne also missed a game on Nov. 19 against Mount St. Mary’s with a hip injury. Williams has not provided a definitive update on Payne’s status.

If he’s able to play, he’s a game-changer for the Terps with his 17.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game.

Without Payne, Maryland is playing an undersized, guard-heavy lineup. Its two leading backcourt scorers are Kansas transfer David Coit, a senior, and freshman Darius Adams, who originally signed with UConn but reopened his recruitment and signed with the Terps last spring.

Coit (13.3 ppg) is a 5-foot-11 lead guard who has connected on a team-leading 37 3-pointers while shooting 42.5 percent from distance. He made eight 3-pointers in a 101-83 loss to No. 2 Michigan on Dec. 13. He’s also an excellent free-throw shooter (92.5 percent) and is the guy to circle on the scouting report for the Hoosiers. Strong closeouts and running Coit off the 3-point line are key for Indiana’s defense. Coit has started eight of Maryland’s 14 games but has come off the bench in the last two contests.

Adams, a 6-foot-5 native of New Jersey who finished his high school career at La Lumiere, has been a high-volume, low-efficiency player through the first 14 games of his career. Adams is third on the roster in scoring at 12.5 points per game but is shooting 36.8 percent on 2s and 25.4 percent on 3s.

Darius Adams and David Coit shot chart.

(Shot charts via UMHoops.com)

The rotation also features Washington State transfer Isaiah Watts, freshman Andre Mills and Indiana transfer Myles Rice.

The 6-foot-4 Mills is the leading scorer of that trio and has started 11 of 14 games. The No. 119 player in the 247Sports Composite in the 2024 class, Mills redshirted the 2024-25 season at Texas A&M and followed Williams to Maryland.

He has taken roughly half of his field goal attempts from distance and is shooting 26.3 percent on 3-pointers. Mills, who averages 8.9 points, has scored in double figures seven times and had a season-high 16 points against Alcorn State on November 11.

Watts spent the last two seasons at Washington State, where he was a teammate of Rice back in the 2023-24 campaign. He’s scored 28 points over the team’s last two games, which are two of his three double-figure scoring games this season. Watts averages 6.2 points and shoots 32.7 percent from distance.

Rice missed time early in the season with an ankle injury and has made three starts across 10 games. He’s 8-for-21 from distance (38.1 percent), 16-for-40 on 2s (40 percent) and has missed one of his 24 free throw attempts.

Andre Mills and Isaiah Watts shot chart.

Up front, the Terps go with 6-foot-7 senior Solomon Washington, a Texas A&M transfer, and 6-foot-8 senior Elijah Saunders, a Virginia transfer.

Washington missed the first eight games of the season with an ankle injury but made his season debut against Wagner on December 2. He’s scored in double figures three times in six games and had a season-high 17 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots in a 64-54 home loss to Oregon on January 2. Washington has 23 offensive rebounds in six games and has to be accounted for when shots go up. Washington is averaging 10 points and nine rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game.

Saunders began his career at San Diego State, where he was a part of NCAA tournament teams in 2023 and 2024. He’s capable of stretching the floor – 15-for-39 on 3s – but isn’t a great finisher in the paint. Saunders is shooting just 46.2 percent on 2s.

Freshman George Turkson, a 6-foot-7 forward, has started two games and had eight points in 32 minutes in the Michigan loss. And 6-foot-9 senior Collin Metcalf, a transfer from Northeastern, plays spot minutes in the frontcourt but has scored just 10 points total across 13 games.

TEMPO-FREE PREVIEW

(All national rankings in parentheses through Monday’s games.)

Tempo-free stats preview for IU-Maryland.

The Maryland offensive profile shows a high-volume 3-point shooting team that is below average in its percentage. Maryland is taking 44.9 percent of its field goal attempts from distance, ranking 81st nationally, and shooting 32.8 percent from deep, ranking 211th nationally.

Pounding the offensive glass and getting to the free-throw line are keys for Maryland. The Terps rank 103rd in offensive rebounding percentage and 28th in free-throw rate (FTA/FGA).

Maryland is generating 26.3 percent of its points from the line, which is eighth-best in the country. Defending without fouling will be pivotal for IU’s success, which has been a problem away from home. Minnesota got to the line 27 times against IU, Louisville 28 times, and Kentucky had 38 free throw attempts.

Defensively, Maryland does a solid job forcing turnovers, ranking 83rd nationally in opponent turnover percentage. Opponents are shooting 36.9 percent on 3s (315th nationally) and 52.9 percent (221st nationally), which means the Hoosiers will have opportunities for quality looks. In IU’s three losses, it is shooting 23-for-85 (27.1 percent) from 3.

WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO

The KenPom projection has Indiana by seven with a 73 percent chance of victory and Bart Torvik has the Hoosiers by 10 with an 82 percent chance of victory.

If Payne returns, the Terps will be a different team in the frontcourt and will present significant problems on the offensive glass. Even if he remains sidelined, Indiana’s play away from Bloomington this season suggests this game will be more difficult than the analytics project.

Simply put, the Hoosiers have not yet proven they can win on the road and haven’t been able to shoot the ball well or keep opponents off the free-throw line in their losses. Life on the road in the Big Ten is difficult but if the Hoosiers aspire to be an NCAA tournament team, this is a game they need to win.

(Photo credit: Maryland Athletics)

See More: Commentary, Maryland Terrapins

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Maryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Jan. 5, 2026

Published

13 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Maryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Jan. 5, 2026

The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

04-18-24-51-56, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

Midday: 8-0-1

Evening: 0-7-2

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

Midday: 1-1-0-5

Evening: 4-7-0-8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

Midday: 4-0-6-4-8

Evening: 2-0-4-7-1

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

01-15-50-55-57, Cash Ball: 02

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

9 a.m.: 13

1 p.m.: 11

6 p.m.: 10

11 p.m.: 13

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

01-05-08-14-22, Bonus: 35

Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning MultiMatch numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

02-03-08-10-25-42

Check MultiMatch payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

15-22-39-41-62, Powerball: 09

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Keno

Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Maryland Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes above $600, winners can claim by mail or in person from the Maryland Lottery office, an Expanded Cashing Authority Program location or cashiers’ windows at Maryland casinos. Prizes over $5,000 must be claimed in person.

Claiming by Mail

Sign your winning ticket and complete a claim form. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and a copy of a document that shows proof of your Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number. Mail these to:

Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center

1800 Washington Boulevard

Suite 330

Baltimore, MD 21230

For prizes over $600, bring your signed ticket, a government-issued photo ID, and proof of your Social Security or Federal Tax ID number to Maryland Lottery headquarters, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Claims are by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This location handles all prize amounts, including prizes over $5,000.

Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less

Maryland Lottery headquarters and select Maryland casinos can redeem winning tickets valued up to $25,000. Note that casinos cannot cash prizes over $600 for non-resident and resident aliens (tax ID beginning with “9”). You must be at least 21 years of age to enter a Maryland casino. Locations include:

Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.

When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Chair of Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland to step down

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

(WBFF) — Del. Jheanelle Wilkins will step down from her role as Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland after being appointed the chair of a separate committee, according to a statement.

Wilkins had served as chair of the caucus since December 2022. She will assume the role of Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee after being appointed by new Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk

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“Her tenure marks a defining era for the Caucus, characterized by an intentional focus on the Caucus’ policy agenda, unwavering unity behind its purpose, and connection to the communities we serve,” the statement announcing the move read. “From the outset of her leadership, Chair Wilkins brought a vision that was both expansive and grounded, strengthening the Caucus internally while elevating its stature within the General Assembly and across the state.”

According to that statement, the Caucus championed over 40 bills and key budget items that passed across the three most recent legislative sessions. Those initiatives included:

Addressing Black maternal health with several successful bills, including the Black Maternal Health Act of 2024.
Expanding health insurance coverage for breast cancer, lung cancer, and biomarker testing.
Addressing prescription drug affordability by working in coalition to pass the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, expanding the state’s drug affordability authority.
Mandating a $750,000 Maryland Department of Health public education campaign to address cancer disparities.
Expanding access to early detection of heart disease through calcium score testing.
Securing the Second Look Act to address over-sentencing and overrepresentation of Black people in Maryland prisons.
Passing the Maryland Reparations Commission, a historic step toward confronting and remedying the lasting harms of slavery and state-sanctioned discrimination.
Reforming public safety and justice policy, including expungement reform, parole access for elderly and medically vulnerable individuals, creating a correctional ombudsman, reentry support for returning citizens, and ending unjust cannabis searches.
Protecting and strengthening community schools and funding for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.
Improving public education by addressing chronic absenteeism, the Maryland teacher shortage, restorative practices in schools, and student loan debt.
Championing HBCU funding and protecting HBCUs from program duplication.
Delivering unprecedented state procurement reform and improving the Black business contracting landscape, including in the areas of forecasting, Board of Public Works transparency, extending the MBE program, and increasing the Small Business Reserve Program goal to 15%.