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March 29, 2024

Panelists talk renewable energy in Baltimore

By EMMA ROALSVIG | November 17, 2016

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Ellie Hallenborg/Photography Editor Five panelists from Baltimore organizations explored future sustainable energy use.

Last Thursday, Environment Maryland presented the Baltimore Renewable Energy Forum, co-hosted by Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Retrofit Baltimore. The event was one of 70 held across the country as part of a week dedicated to promoting renewable energy.

Five panelists from local Maryland renewable energy enterprises spoke about different problems for sustainable energy in Baltimore and across the nation.

Nic Ulm, a Hopkins student who works at the Wave Energy Conversion Corporation of America (WECCA), highlighted the effectiveness of converting ocean waves into electrical energy.

“The west coast could power their entire power grid off of wave energy if they captured about five percent of it,” Ulm said.

In 2004, Maryland was one of the first states to adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which mandates a minimum amount of renewable energy that the state must generate. Earlier this year, Maryland passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act that increased their RPS goal to 25 percent by 2020.

James McGarry, a representative from the non-profit group Chesapeake Climate Action Network, highlighted the act’s benefits.

“That bill would take the carbon equivalent of 563,000 cars off the road every single year and it would support 1,000 local Maryland jobs needed for the construction of the new solar energy,” McGarry said.

Many local Maryland sustainability enterprises focus on creating jobs for minority and disadvantaged communities. These include Civic Works and the Baltimore-Washington Electric Vehicle Initiative.

Evie Schwartz, a coordinator for Civic Works, runs a training program through the Baltimore Center for Green Careers that teaches hands-on skills to those struggling to find employment.

McGarry praised Civic Works’ efforts to help the environment while also creating diverse economic stability within disadvantaged Baltimore communities.

“They’re training people who have barriers to enter, who for whatever reason, because of the color of their skin, because of a criminal background, because of their education level, are really struggling to find a job. They’re being really intentional about bringing those people into the workforce,” McGarry said.

McGarry believes that the biggest challenge faced by many renewable energy advocacy groups are people’s preconceived notions about the topic. He emphasized how important it is to communicate.

“The reality is that wind and solar prices have fallen by 60 percent over the last six years. In many parts of the country, wind is the cheapest source of energy: subsidy free, cheaper than natural gas or other fossil fuels, prices are coming down everywhere,” McGarry said. “We’re seeing more and more that it’s achievable, it’s affordable and it creates a ton of jobs.”

Jason Mathias, who is the Strategic Initiatives Coordinator of the University’s Office of Sustainability, said that Hopkins has put solar panels on every structurally sound roof around campus. Mathias also mentioned that Hopkins struggles with student-staff engagement regarding climate change.

“We have a goal, and we’re working towards it, but we rely on students to help us with it. [The greenhouse gas emission goal] is 51 percent by 2025,” Mathias said.

The panel reached the consensus that it is possible to achieve 100 percent sustainable energy. Ulm said that other countries have already accomplished it, and that it is just a matter of making the decision and putting in the effort.

“Iceland took a period of higher taxes to convert their entire energy grid to geothermal and now they have extremely cheap energy and are reaping the benefits of a decade’s worth of higher taxes that has paid out inbounds and has guaranteed them a cheap energy future,” Ulm said.

One audience member asked the panel how to convince people of the importance of climate change when others propagate falsehoods about the environment.

McGarry responded that the level of awareness among the Maryland public is high.

“Where you see a big dip is people’s belief that their neighbors know about global warming. You see about a 20 point drop. You see people who themselves understand what’s happening, but they don’t think their friends and neighbors do,” he said.

McGarry continued to say that once we erase these deep preconceived notions about the nation’s ignorance regarding climate change, it will change the public conversation about sustainability.

“It would affect your confidence in being able to bring up issues like climate change or clean energy with your friends and with your family. I think that the reality is that climate change is actually a more accepted reality than most people give it credit for,” he said.

Hannah Conti, an intern with Environment Maryland, spoke about her work with the organization.

“Our goal is to spread awareness and start conversations about renewable energy. Events like these get our campus involved and create connections between the campus and the students,” Conti wrote in an email to The News-Letter.

Freshman Cecilia Vorfeld attended the event because she was intrigued by what Baltimore has accomplished and planned for the progression of sustainable and renewable energy.

“I liked hearing about their new and upcoming ideas for sustainable energy in Baltimore, and I look forward to seeing those ideas put into action one day,” Vorfeld said in an email to The News-Letter.

Sophomore Sean Jost thought the event was a good opportunity for different student groups and local activists to come together and discuss environmentalism.

“I really liked how diverse the panelists were, from professional organizations to students, to give a wide spectrum of different ways to improve renewable energy,” Jost wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “It’s reassuring that there are a lot of people pursuing renewable energy, both from a


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