Environment Archives

EPA Announces Funding for Sewer and Stormwater Infrastructure Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced new funding to support sewer overflow and stormwater management projects across the Mid-Atlantic, including funding available to Maryland communities. The funding comes through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program, which provides resources to help local governments upgrade infrastructure and reduce pollution entering local waterways. Of the approximately $80 million made available nationwide, about $14.8 million is allocated across the Mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland. Maryland…

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May 5, 2026

County News / Energy / Environment

The Briefing Room Ep 1: Who Really Controls Maryland’s Energy?

The Conduit Street Podcast is launching something new. Introducing The Briefing Room, a new limited series designed to take a deeper dive into the complex policy issues shaping Maryland’s counties. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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May 5, 2026

Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works

Virginia Energy Legislation Could Offer Lessons for Maryland

Virginia's SB621 requires utilities to use grid utilization metrics to more effectively manage grid loads, reduce energy losses. As electricity demand grows from data centers, electrification, economic development, and extreme weather, policymakers are looking for ways to get more out of the electric grid that already exists. One emerging focus is “grid utilization,” or better measuring how much existing transmission capacity is actually being used before assuming new infrastructure is the only answer. Virginia is…

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May 4, 2026

Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning / Policy Deep Dive

Deep Dive: Breaking Down the Utility RELIEF Act Part I

With the 2026 legislative session now in the rearview mirror, several major bills deserve a closer look. Lawmakers faced a series of consequential and time-sensitive issues this year, forcing difficult decisions that will carry lasting implications for Maryland residents, counties, and the state’s broader policy landscape. Energy policy, in particular, took center stage. With affordability serving as the watchword of the session, there was intense focus on what the General Assembly would do to address…

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April 29, 2026

County News / Energy / Environment / Housing and Community Development

Frederick County Uses Libraries To Advance Sustainability Goals

Frederick County is using its library system as a platform to advance sustainability goals, combining energy-efficiency upgrades with expanded access to electric-vehicle infrastructure. Recent projects at libraries in Thurmont, Urbana, and Middletown highlight how everyday public spaces can support broader county priorities around energy use, emissions reduction, and cost savings. At the Thurmont and Urbana Regional libraries, lighting systems were upgraded to energy-efficient LED fixtures, a change expected to deliver both environmental and financial benefits.…

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April 23, 2026

Environment / Transportation and Public Works

AG Brown, MDE File Suit Against DC Water Over Potomac Spill

Maryland is suing DC Water over the Potomac River sewage spill earlier this year. Maryland’s Attorney General and the Maryland Department of the Environment have taken DC Water to court over the January collapse of a major sewer line in Montgomery County, arguing that the failure caused a massive sewage release into the Potomac River and nearby tributaries. According to the state, the rupture involved a 72-inch section of the Potomac Interceptor near the C&O…

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April 22, 2026

Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning

Maine Looks Toward Data Center Ban Citing Rising Energy Costs

Maine set to limit growth of large data centers over 20 megawatts. The Maine State Legislature is testing one of the country’s most aggressive responses to data center growth. Lawmakers have approved a statewide pause on new data centers with power needs of 20 megawatts or more through November 2027, while the state studies what these facilities could mean for electric demand, customer bills, and host communities. Currently, Governor Janet Mills is undecided on whether…

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April 21, 2026

Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning

FERC to Address Data Center Interconnection in June

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is set to establish new data center interconnections standards, impacting on Maryland and surrounding states. FERC indicated that it expects to take action in June on a Department of Energy proposal aimed at improving how very large new electric loads, including data centers, connect to the grid. At the center of the discussion is a familiar but increasingly urgent question: how to accommodate major new demand while maintaining clarity…

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April 21, 2026

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2026 Session: Recap and Wrap-Ups

Catch up on all of the latest outcomes of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session with wrap-ups on important county-related bills in each policy area. Maryland’s 448th legislative session unfolded under significant fiscal pressure. Lawmakers closed the fiscal 2027 gap, preserved reserves, and fully funded principal commitments, such as the Blueprint, but did not resolve the larger structural deficits projected for the years ahead. That budget pressure shaped debates across nearly every policy area, from…

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April 17, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education / Elections / Energy / Environment / General Assembly News / Housing and Community Development / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations / MACo Testimony / Public Safety and Corrections / Transportation and Public Works

Conduit Street Podcast: 90 Days Later — Sine Die Recap

This Week on the Conduit Street Podcast, we bring you an episode fresh from Sine Die to break down the 2026 legislative session from start to finish. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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April 17, 2026