Maryland Plans for Non-Fossil Fuel Future

Anthony Watts Doesn't Think Much of the Plan: Maryland, quite possibly even more la-la land than California:

Maryland’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 meets a series of benchmark tests set by state lawmakers, concludes a new pair of studies by the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER). The findings should help clear the way for adoption of a full Climate Action Plan next year, the researchers say.

Maryland’s 2009 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act ordered independent studies to make sure that its provisions won’t hurt the reliability of the state’s electricity supply or damage the manufacturing sector of the economy. The CIER studies give State plans a passing grade on these scores and project some upsides:

Improves reliability of electric service for consumers and industry;
No expected loss of jobs;
May stimulate some “green” jobs;
No economic harm to Maryland’s manufacturing sector.

I'm sure the University of Maryland's CIER is completely and totally objective, and would give green power a bad report card if they found that it would harm the state.  OK, who am I trying to kid?  They're totally in the tank and saying what the current Administration wants to be able to say.  Not that they needed any prompting to know what that is.  Actually, their findings are really only minimally supportive:

Manufacturing Economic Impact
2009 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act (GGRA) requires that cuts in emissions may not cause a significant increase in costs to the manufacturing sector.

Finding: No significant increase in capital or energy costs for the manufacturing sector. Large, electricity-intensive industries, such as chemical plants, will see the greatest energy cost increases – between 1 and 2 percent. Small, less energy-intensive industries, such as printing, could see cost savings as a result of participation in energy conservation programs, such as EmPower Maryland.

Jobs
GGRA says greenhouse gas reduction requirements may not cause reductions in existing manufacturing jobs.

Finding: “Job losses in the manufacturing sector attributable to select CAP policies will be minimal and may not occur at all,” says the economic report. It notes that Maryland’s manufacturing sector has lost jobs since the 1970s, a trend expected to continue with or without the CAP.

Green Jobs
GGRA requires reduction measures to produce a net increase in jobs in Maryland, and encourage new employment opportunities in the State related to energy conservation, alternative energy supply, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction technologies – so called “green jobs.”

Finding: New jobs in each of these categories are expected to grow. Currently, green jobs make up about 3 percent of the state’s workforce. Green job opportunities will be available to those who enhance or modify existing skills.

Electric Reliability
GGRA requires the Maryland Department of the Environment to “ensure the plan does not decrease the likelihood of reliable and affordable electrical service and statewide fuel supply.”

The researchers define “electric reliability” as having adequate amounts of electricity to meet peak summer demand plus a safety margin. These needs can be met by either in-state generation capacity, power importation or by managing demand. Reliability does NOT pertain to disruptions in electricity service caused, for example, by downed wires from fallen trees and branches.

Finding: “We find electricity reliability in Maryland…will improve with the implementation of specific mitigation policies originally identified in the 2008 Climate Action Plan,” the report concludes. “Despite uncertainties in future electricity transmission in Maryland, electricity reliability in the state will be improved with the addition of the three climate mitigation policies.”

When these promises fail to materialize, as is almost inevitable, Maryland will probably experience a concomitant rise in energy prices, a fall in reliability, and a decrease in jobs.

It's just too much to hope that they would permit more nuclear plants and allow more safe, clean and reliable (and fishing friendly) power sources.

CIER report here.