Moore calls for zero-emission heating systems in Maryland buildings – Maryland Matters

Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Tuesday ordered the Maryland Energy Administration to develop standards to phase in zero-emission heating equipment for all buildings in the state.

It was part of an executive order Moore signed that he called “one of the most comprehensive executive orders on climate of any governor in Maryland’s history.” Among other things, it would order state agencies to deliver plans by Nov. 1 that move each agency toward achieving the state’s climate goals, and would direct the Department of Transportation to expand infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles.

“It is bold, it is ambitious; In Maryland we’re going to get it done, because that’s what we do,” Moore told an enthusiastic audience at the Henderson-Hopkins School in East Baltimore.

The order is the latest move in Moore’s plan to cut overall emissions in the state by 60% by 2031; to “achieve 100% clean electricity” by 2035; and to reach net zero by 2045.

Except for those dates, the order contained few details on costs or timelines. But it was hailed by a range of climate advocates from different environmental organizations.

“Today’s announcement from Gov. Moore not only cements Maryland’s legacy as a climate leader, but will create more equitable access to climate and health resources, paying dividends for generations to come,” said Ruth Ann Norton, president and CEO of the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative. Her comments were part of a press release that quoted several groups in the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

First in the order was a directive to every state agency to develop a Climate Implementation Plan and submit it by Nov. 1 to a special subcabinet also established by the executive order. The plans are to have the steps an agency would take and the resources it would need to implement the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 and the Maryland Climate Pollution Reduction Plan.

Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain, whose agency released the Maryland Climate Pollution Reduction Plan, said Tuesday that the order would put Maryland on a path to fulfilling the plan.

“This is a huge step in the right direction. We are more poised then more than ever before, and really starting to bring real progress,” McIlwain said. “We are going to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and we are going to reach the governor’s 100% clean energy goal by 2035.”

Moore repeated the proposal to phase in new heating equipment standards after his first mention caused the audience to burst out in applause.

“I’m going to say it again because I like that response. The policies I’m calling for will include new zero emission heating equipment standards,” Moore said. “So when Marylanders can heat up their buildings, they aren’t contributing to greater emissions in the atmosphere.”

Moore insisted that the plan would be designed to protect low-income Marylanders, a position that was welcomed by Leah Louis-Prescott, building electrification policy expert at the Rocky Mountain Institute.

“To ensure monthly energy savings go to the residents who need it most, the Moore administration must pursue a suite of equity-focused policies to help low-income residents adopt this highly efficient technology,” Louis-Prescott said in the Chesapeake Climate Action Network statement.