skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

MD’s New Clean-Energy Task Force Cuts Out Green Groups

play audio
Play

Monday, August 19, 2019   

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland’s Republican Gov. Larry Hogan signed an executive order last week that establishes a task force to recommend where to put solar- and wind-energy projects in the state.

The new group includes key stakeholders from state agencies along with representatives from Maryland's agricultural community and solar- and wind-energy industries. But it doesn't include any environmental groups, which has raised alarms for the state's green community, according to Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

"There are concerns that the governor may have a different renewable-energy definition and agenda than a majority of clean-energy advocates in the state,” Tidwell said.

When asked why the green groups were left off the panel, a spokeswoman for Hogan said in a statement, "There will certainly be opportunities for robust public input from interested organizations and members of the public."

The new Task Force on Renewable Energy Development and Siting will submit its initial findings in December. But Tidwell said he’s worried about the governor's influence on the panel. He said Hogan has supported importing fracked gas into the state through pipelines, which some say will harm the environment.

Tidwell said the governor also has mentioned expanding Maryland's use of nuclear power.

"The governor may be trying to limit the total amount of wind and solar deployed in the state, which would be unfortunate and would be contrary to the actual law that passed in April of this year, the Clean Energy Jobs Act,” he said.

The new law was passed without Hogan's signature. The measure requires that half of Maryland's energy will come from renewable sources by 2030. It also says utilities in the state must subsidize solar and wind farms.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021