Maryland is in a similar bind, straddling aggressive climate targets and rising regional electricity costs, made worse by the explosive growth of data centers in neighboring northern Virginia.
A paper from the Progressive Policy Institute, a center-left think tank, argues that, due in part to rollback of federal policies that supported clean energy, the state just can’t meet its near-term climate goals without ushering in an economic catastrophe and a potential voter backlash.
The
Maryland study states: “When voters don’t buy into the mandate-driven, high-cost decarbonization pathways and overreaching solutions, the political pendulum can swing so far to the right that we lose important and real policy solutions.”
In common speak: When one philosophy becomes too rigid, politicians get thrown out of power. Incremental progress is better than no progress.
The study argues that Annapolis should prioritize the most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon emissions. For example, focusing on
permitting reform or covering up to 100 percent of electrification costs for for low- to moderate-income households. It suggests dropping more symbolic mandates such as banning gas stoves.
