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2015 Webinar Series
September 16th, 2015
CLIMATE HEALTH ACTION TEAM
(CHAT) ACTIONS REPORT
Over 1,843 CHAT and PSR members sent letters to their
Members of Congress asking them to support the Clean
Power Plan as a means to create significant gains in
health.
Dr. Sara Via
Professor of Biology
at University of
Maryland; Co-leader
Chesapeake PSR
CHAT
Trish O’Day, RN
Board member of
both the Texas
Chapter of PSR and
the National Board.
The CPP in Maryland
Dr. Sara Via
Dr. Al Bartlett
(MD CHAT co-leads)
Tim Whitehouse
(Exec. Director CPSR)
The CPP in Maryland
Maryland is likely to meet its CPP targets mostly
with three existing programs:
1. Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
2. Energy Efficiency through EmPOWER Maryland
3. Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), 20% by 2020
- Three of the 10 key programs established in 2009
under the 2006 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act
(reduce CO2 25% by 2020)
- Formal SIP work for CPP will not begin until 2016
(reason for delay unclear at present…)
The CPP in Maryland
- Gov. Hogan (R) not yet vocal on how he will handle
the climate plan initiated by Martin O’Malley
- We are still working with the O’Malley structure
- Gov. Hogan VERY pro-business, anti-regulation
- first act was to block a regulation to require
coal-fired power plants to reduce NOx
- Under Hogan administration, the MDE has
gutted the rule it worked almost 2 years
to develop (MD-CHAT’s main work this year)
- So, trouble on the horizon?
The CPP in Maryland
Current focus of environmental community
is renewing the GGRA, which sunsets in 2016
- CPSR and MD-CHAT working with MD Sierra
club and coalition of other groups
- we are trying to make GGRA more aggressive
(45% by 2030, 90% by 2050),
- to strengthen programs under GGRA, and
- to increase awareness of climate change and its
health impacts among Marylanders
Status of RGGI
RGGI very strong, with documented economic
benefit & electricity cost reductions in MD
- RGGI will have a program review early in 2016,
alterations to facilitate CPP likely
- Leading RGGI states expected to reduce
CO2 beyond CPP targets (NY, VT, MD(?))
- CPSR now involved with RGGI Advocates group
(RGGI issue in MD– most revenue spent on
direct bill assistance, not EE or RE)
Energy Efficiency in MD
EmPOWER MD is the EE program under GGRA
- Tasked with reducing demand 15% by 2020
*peak demand PLUS overall demand
- July 2015, Maryland PSC voted to require a 2%
yearly reduction in demand (including social costs
of CO2 in the cost-benefit analysis, as advocated
by environmental groups)
Renewable Energy in MD
Current RPS requires 20% renewables by 2020
- Solar growing fast, offshore wind started,
- Community solar legislation passed 2015, BUT
- Legislation to increase to 40% (then 25%) failed 2015
- Combustibles such as black liquor , poultry litter are
included in Tier 1 RPS
- Increasing RPS and capping/eliminating combustibles
will be topics in 2016 legislative session
Next Steps & Challenges
- CPSR next steps
- EE advocacy
- rollout of community solar pilot projects
- environmental justice issues in energy use
- educating Marylanders about climate change
- Challenges
- political climate for GGRA, RGGI, RPS and CPP?
- can we influence how RGGI funds are spent?
- how to be most effective in facilitating
EE and Community Solar in low-income
communities?
- how to broaden our educational efforts?
The Clean Power Plan:
Progress and Challenges in the States
TEXAS
Texas: A Big State, A Big Polluter
 Population: 27 million
 Poverty: 18% of Texans are below the FPL
 Hispanic population: 38% of all Texans and the majority
population for under five year olds
 Uninsured: now 17%, down from 25% uninsured. Texas
has the largest number of uninsured persons in any
state.
Texas: A Big State, A Big Polluter
 CPP Goal for Texas
 34% reduction in carbon pollution from power plants by
2030
 A Big Polluter: Texas emits more carbon pollution than
any other state and has two of the five dirtiest coal
plants in the nation, Martin Lake (east TX) and W.A.
Parish (near Houston)
Challenges
 Texas politics and policy
 Conservative
 Historically very anti-Washington and federal
government
 Texas will not develop a CPP State Plan; we can
expect the federal government to develop the Texas
State Implementation Plan
 Texas will sue the federal government to halt the CPP
Raising the Health Voice for climate, CPP,
Renewables and Energy Efficiency
TX PSR Strategies:
Partnering: Environment Texas; Sierra Club; Texas Impact
- op-eds in Austin American Statesman, Houston Chronicle and the Monitor
- coal plant closure work
Align with traditional medicine
- Texas Public Health Coalition, (sponsor: Texas Medical Association)
- legislative work; moving towards focus on air quality/clean air
Work at the local level
- member panel on CPP: Austin Mayor, City Council, State Representative
TX PSR Future
 Continue partnerships, and
 Strengthen relationships with traditional medicine and
other health professions
“
“The Clean Power Plan: Progress and
Challenges in the States"
 Questions/Comments
CPP action is moving to the states! Raise the health voice in your
state!
 Connect with your state’s CPP environmental coordinator.
 Introduce yourself as a health professional/PSR member who
wishes to participate in the CPP process in your state.
 Email Kolin Kearns, [email protected] and he will send you the
contact name/email.
Climate Health Action Teams: Moving
Forward in a Time of Transition
For more information contact:
Barb Gottlieb, Environment & Health Director: [email protected] or 202-5875225
www.PSR.org
202-667-4260