An October 17 Baltimore Sun article reported that a coalition of environmental, labor, and other groups want the Maryland General Assembly to double the state’s mandated renewable energy goal of 20% by 2022 to 40% by 2025.  From the article:

Speakers argued that increasing the state’s share of electricity from wind, solar and other non-fossil fuel sources will reduce harmful air pollution and produce jobs.  …

Even though Maryland is less than halfway toward its 20 percent renewable-power goal, [Chesapeake Climate Action Network’s James] McGarry said advocates are confident the state can do much better. Costs of wind and solar energy generation have fallen sharply, he said, and projects are being built at a pace that assures the state will exceed its current target.

An O’Malley administration plan to reduce Maryland’s climate-altering emissions of carbon dioxide already calls for an increase in the renewable power goal to 25 percent by 2020, McGarry pointed out. The 40 percent target advocates now seek is a “reasonable extension” of that goal, he added.