Clean energy advocates in Maryland say the state isn’t moving quickly enough to reduce the number of homes using natural gas for heating — and that inaction could put families at risk.
What’s happening?
In June 2024, Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order requiring the state to create Clean Heat Rules, with the goal of increasing electric home-heating sources, such as heat pumps, and reducing the number of dirty energy heating sources, like oil or gas furnaces.
As reported by Maryland Matters, state officials say they are making progress, but environmental advocates believe it isn’t happening rapidly enough. So a number of nonprofits, such as the state’s Sierra Club chapter and the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, held an event last month in Baltimore to launch the Maryland Clean Heat Coalition.
“While the transition to heat pumps is happening, it’s not happening fast enough to meet our climate commitments,” Anne Havemann of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network said at the event. “It’s also not happening equally across income brackets. Right now, it’s mostly higher-income Marylanders who are making the switch.”…