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Maryland

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Planning and Measurement | Targets and Caps | Reporting | Power Sector | Transportation Sector

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Planning and Measurement

State Advisory Board

Status: Completed

Details: Maryland established a Climate Change Commission in April 2007 (Executive Order 01.01.2007.07), and directed it to develop a Plan of Action for the state; the plan would address opportunities for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and establish firm benchmarks and timetables for implementing the Plan of Action.

Regional Initiatives

Status: Completed

Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) as of April 2007. RGGI is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to establish a regional cap-and-trade program initially covering carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the region.
Governor O'Malley signed S.B. 268 on April 7, 2008, establishing the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program to administer the proceeds from RGGI. Seventeen percent of RGGI proceeds will be dedicated to the Electric Universal Service Program, 23% will be dedicated to rate relief, at least 46% to energy efficiency and conservation programs, and up to 10.5% to renewable and clean energy programs.
On March 17, 2008, participating states announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 25, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. Some legislative approvals are still pending before the first-of-its-kind auction will take place on behalf of all 10 states.

GHG Inventory

Status: Completed

Details: Completed in 1998.

Climate Change Action Plan

Status: Completed/Further Work In Progress

Details: Maryland established a Climate Change Commission in April 2007 (Executive Order 01.01.2007.07), and directed it to develop a Plan of Action for the state; the plan would address opportunities for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and establish firm benchmarks and timetables for implementing the Plan of Action. The Commission released its Interim Report on January 14, 2008. The Final Report was due July 20, 2008, but as of August 15, 2008, the report had not been posted. The state completed an action plan in March 2004.

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Targets and Caps

Lead by Example Target

Status: No Activity Identified

Statewide GHG Target

Status: Proposed

Details: Executive Order 01.01.2007.07, which established the state's climate change commission, directs one of the working groups to evaluate and recommend goals that include but are not limited to the reduction of Maryland's GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% of 2006 levels by 2050. The Maryland Commission on Climate Change working group, in a presentation to the full commission on December 4, 2007, recommended the state set a goal to reduce GHG emissions 90% below 2006 levels by 2050. The group's recommendations on goals also include cutting GHG emissions 10% below 2006 levels by 2012; 15% below 2006 levels by 2015; and 25 % below 2006 levels by 2020.

Statewide GHG Cap

Status: Proposed

Details: Announced membership in the International Carbon Action Partnership on October 29, 2007 - a group of public authorities and governments that have established or are actively pursuing carbon markets through mandatory cap and trade systems as one approach for reducing GHG emissions.

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Reporting

Electricity Disclosure

Status: Completed

Details: Effective July 2000, the Maryland Public Service Commission requires that retail electricity suppliers disclose fuel mixes and emissions in a standard format to customers every six months.

GHG Registry

Status: In Progress

Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), under which entities in the power sector will be required to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. RGGI's first compliance period will begin January 1, 2009. Maryland is developing implementation rules for the state's participation in RGGI. Governor O'Malley signed S.B. 268 on April 7, 2008, establishing the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program to administer the proceeds from RGGI. 17% of RGGI proceeds will be dedicated to the Electric Universal Service Program, 23% will be dedicated to rate relief, at least 46% to energy efficiency and conservation programs, and up to 10.5% to renewable and clean energy programs.
Member of The Climate Registry - a collaboration aimed at developing and managing a common GHG emissions reporting system across states, provinces, and tribes. It will provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent, and verified set of GHG emissions data from reporting entities, supported by a robust accounting and verification infrastructure. Members released a final General Reporting Protocol in May 2008. The Climate Registry plans to start accepting data in summer 2008.

Mandatory GHG Reporting

Status: Completed

Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), under which entities in the power sector will be required to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. RGGI's first compliance period will begin January 1, 2009. MD's implementation rules for the state's participation in RGGI became effective on July 31, 2008.

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Power Sector

CO2 Offset Requirements

Status: No Activity Identified

GHG Performance Standard

Status: No Activity Identified

Advanced Coal Technology

Status: No Activity Identified

Power Sector GHG Cap and Trade

Status: Completed

Details: Maryland formally joined RGGI on April 20, 2007, when Governor Martin O'Malley signed the Second Amendment to the RGGI Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). On March 17, 2008, participating states announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 25, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. Maryland will participate in the September 25, 2008, auction. On July 31, 2008, Secretary Shari T. Wilson adopted the Maryland CO2 Budget Trading Program auction regulations. Maryland will auction approximately 85 percent of its CO2 allowances. The Department of Environment shall annually allocate CO2 allowances from the CO2 Budget Trading Program as follows: 3,465,101 allowances to the Limited Industrial Exemption Set-aside Account; 1,698,191 allowances to the Long Term Contract Set-aside Account; 350,000 allowances to the Voluntary Renewable Set-aside Account; and the remainder of allowances to the Consumer Energy Efficiency Account. One-hundred percent of the allowances allocated to the Consumer Energy Efficiency Account will be auctioned.

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Transportation Sector

GHG Auto Standards

Status: In Progress

Details: The 2007 Clean Cars Act, signed by the Governor in April 2007, adopts the California GHG standard. On January 2, 2008, California filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. EPA's denial of the state's effort to regulate GHG emissions from motor vehicles, in response to EPA's rejection of a petition for a Clean Air Act waiver on December 19, 2007. A waiver is required for California and other states to implement a vehicle emissions standard tougher than the federal one. The proposed auto standard calls for the reduction of GHG emissions from new vehicles of 22% by 2012 and 30% by 2016.

Low Carbon Fuel Standard

Status: No Activity Identified

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