SCC Staff Right to Recommend Merger Denial as Data Center Costs Mount

Climate group warns Virginia families could be left footing the bill for Big Tech’s power grab if merger goes through


RICHMOND, VA — The staff of Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) recommended on Monday that regulators deny NextEra Energy’s proposed $67 billion acquisition of Dominion Energy as currently proposed, concluding that the companies have not proven that “adequate service to the public at just and reasonable rates will not be impaired or jeopardized.” The same day, Governor Abigail Spanberger filed expert testimony urging the SCC to reject the deal unless NextEra and Dominion agree to freeze base residential rates for six years, triple customer bill credits, and accept structural reforms to ensure “large data centers bear the cost of their own energy needs — not families.”

In testimony filed yesterday, SCC staff found that the merger would expose Dominion to the financial and business risks of NextEra’s unregulated, competitive businesses. Staff also flagged Dominion’s growing dependence on buying power from the regional market – 25% of the electricity it supplied in 2025, compared with 3% at NextEra’s Florida Power & Light – and noted that rising purchased power costs “appear to stem from growth in data center customers.” The companies’ proposed $10-a-month residential bill credit would “only somewhat mitigate” steadily rising bills, staff concluded. When the credits run out in 2031, a typical residential bill is projected to jump nearly 8% in a single year, to $226.55 a month.

Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), issued the following statement:

“Yesterday, the Commission’s own experts and the Governor of Virginia corroborated what families across the Commonwealth have been saying: this merger is a bad deal for Virginia. NextEra isn’t coming to Virginia to lower anyone’s bills. It’s coming to cash in on the largest data center market in the world, and it’s counting on ordinary Virginians to bankroll the buildout.

The byzantine corporate structure that would be spawned by this acquisition exposes regulated customers in Virginia to immense risk, particularly as we face an onslaught of infrastructure requests from data centers. A temporary $10 credit is a rounding error next to the billions in new power plants and market purchases needed to feed Big Tech. The SCC should listen to its staff and reject this merger.”

SCC staff said it would not oppose the merger if the companies accept a lengthy list of additional conditions, including an independent Dominion board of directors, limits on dividends, a 10-year guarantee of current Virginia employment levels, and a requirement that Dominion retain “ultimate decision-making authority” over how it meets demand from large load customers. Governor Spanberger, the first Virginia governor to intervene in an SCC case, said she remains “deeply skeptical” that the merger, “as currently structured, will adequately protect consumers.” Earlier this month, Lt. Governor Ghazala Hashmi became the first statewide elected official to flatly oppose the deal. Last week, Dominion’s 2026 Integrated Resource Plan update projected that a typical residential bill would climb by more than $100 a month over the next two decades, driven in large part by data center demand.

#   #   #

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Dominion’s Updated Energy Plan Doubles Pollution as it Prepares to Merge with NextEra

Typical bills climb by over $100 a month as data centers demand more energy


RICHMOND, VA — Dominion Energy’s newly filed 2026 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) update projects that the utility’s carbon pollution will more than double compared to last year’s plan while customer bills climb steadily for the next two decades. Under the IRP’s “preferred path” that the company submitted to Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC), a typical residential bill for 1,000 kilowatt-hours would rise from $180.31 to $283.65 a month – an increase of more than $100 – as Dominion pursues nearly 9,000 megawatts of new gas-fired generation and six small modular nuclear reactors to meet a demand forecast driven in large part by new data centers. The company estimates its preferred plan will cost $91.5 billion, costs that will be passed on to customers through their electric rates.

Dominion’s preferred plan ignores state requirements on at least three accounts. While the update increases planned solar and battery storage over last year’s plan, the battery targets fall well short of recent statutory requirements (SB 448 / HB 895, 2026). Dominion’s calculations do not appear to square with Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative requirements targeting zero tons of greenhouse gas emissions from large power plants by 2045. In addition, Dominion’s preferred path would keep its fossil fuel plants running past 2045, the date by which the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) requires them to close. Dominion now forecasts demand rising 2.8% a year, up from 2.5% in last year’s update, and expects its preferred path to emit 47 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2046 – up from 21.8 million in last year’s plan.

Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), issued the following statement:

“With every new energy plan, Dominion gives up a little more on the planet and jacks up rates a little higher to serve data centers. Now, as Dominion awaits a decision on NextEra’s proposed acquisition, it plans to double its pollution while the typical family’s bill climbs by more than $100 a month. 

Communities will see this plan for what it really is: a blueprint for billions of dollars in new gas plants to chase Big Tech’s appetite for power. The SCC must hold Dominion to the clean energy laws on the books, and Virginia leaders must rein in data center growth before it drains all of our natural resources, further punishes the poor and destroys the middle class.”

In July 2025, the SCC directed Dominion to model at least one scenario fully aligned with the VCEA, including the scheduled retirement of its fossil fuel plants. Dominion’s update sets that path aside in favor of a preferred plan that keeps gas burning. The preferred plan’s gas buildout does not even count the roughly 5 Gigawatts of gas plants Dominion has already proposed in Chesterfield and Cumberland counties. The update arrives as Dominion and NextEra seek state approval for a proposed merger that would create the largest regulated utility monopoly in the world.

#   #   #

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Lt. Governor Hashmi Right to Oppose NextEra and Dominion Mega-Merger

Climate group commends Virginia’s Lt. Governor for taking a clear stance against creation of largest utility monopoly in the world 


RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi announced yesterday her opposition to NextEra’s acquisition of Dominion Energy. The announcement came after the conclusion of a five-stop listening tour during which the Lt. Governor heard Virginians’ concerns about the merger in Loudoun County, Norfolk, Richmond, Charlottesville, and Roanoke. CCAN Virginia Director joined the Lt. Governor as the energy expert on the panel in Roanoke.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission decision on the merger, which would create the largest regulated utility monopoly in the world, hinges on whether approval would impair or jeopardize “just and reasonable rates.” Recent polling shows that three in four Virginians (76%) believe the merger will increase electric bills.

Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), issued the following statement:

“We are thankful that Lieutenant Governor Hashmi took the time to hear out Virginians on this topic, and ultimately for taking a strong stance in opposition. We, too, are hearing deep concerns from people all over the state. Virginians see this for what it is: one more leg of the billionaire class’s AI arms race that is robbing everyday families of money, health, jobs, land, and water. It appears that NextEra is only here to capitalize on and accelerate data center infrastructure buildout as the rest of the country wakes up and turns them away.”

The Lt. Governor is the first statewide elected official to flatly oppose the merger. Governor Abigail Spanberger is a formal intervenor in the case before the State Corporation Commission and has expressed that she is “skeptical of the benefits this merger would deliver to Virginia.”

#   #   #

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Maryland PSC Approves Two Battery Storage Projects; Coalition Urges Continued Progress Toward Grid Reliability Goals

BALTIMORE, MD — The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) selected yesterday the Chalk Point Storage Project (Prince George’s County, 400 MW) and Jade Meadow III Battery Storage (Garrett County, 40 MW) under the Round 1 solicitation of the Next Generation Energy Act (NGEA). A coalition of clean energy and environmental organizations thanks the Commission for its work throughout the Case 9866 process and welcomes the approvals as a step forward for Maryland’s grid but calls on the PSC to do more.

What yesterday’s decision means:

  • Progress on reliability and affordability: The selected project(s) will add 440 MW of transmission-connected, 4-hour battery storage, helping stabilize supply and demand and insulate ratepayers from peak pricing.
  • Local benefits: The Chalk Point Storage Project and Jade Meadow III Battery Project are expected to bring construction jobs, permanent maintenance positions, and steady tax revenue to Prince George’s County and Garrett County. 
  • Next step is construction approval: The approved project(s) must still secure PSC construction approval, including additional public hearings on safety, siting, and environmental review, expected in late 2026 and into 2027.

The state’s grid — under mounting strain from PJM capacity constraints and rising demand — needs every cost-effective storage resource it can bring online. 

In response to yesterday’s decision, advocates released the following statements: 

“The proposals in this docket represent several years of state policymaking pertaining to grid reliability and a state storage program. 440 MW is a significant increase to our grid’s capacity. At a time when electricity affordability is a paramount concern for Marylanders, storage can reduce overall electricity system costs and can prevent rate increases by improving grid efficiency, maximizing low-cost renewable energy, and strengthening system reliability,” said Rebecca Rehr, Director of Climate Policy and Justice, Maryland League of Conservation Voters.

“Maryland should celebrate these first-round approvals, but we cannot stop at 440 megawatts when the state has set a 3,000-megawatt energy-storage goal by 2033 and sought 800 megawatts in this round alone,” said Brittany Baker, Maryland Director at Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “The Commission should build on this progress with an ambitious Round 2 that brings substantially more storage online, prioritizes responsible siting and community engagement, and gives Maryland households the reliable, affordable clean-energy grid they deserve.”

“While we commend the Commission approving these two projects for Energy Storage Capacity Credits, it missed a critical opportunity to deploy more clean capacity,” said Josh Tulkin, Sierra Club Maryland Chapter Director. “Maryland urgently needs to add more storage to the grid to combat rising electricity prices, improve reliability, and meet its climate targets. The approval of only two projects does not meet the urgency of this moment. The Commission should approve credits for more storage capacity in Round 2, including projects like the large, six-hour Oystercatcher project.”

As the PSC gears up for Round 2 solicitation, due to launch by January 1, 2027, advocates look forward to consideration of more energy storage projects that deliver the additional storage capacity Maryland needs to meet its reliability and climate goals.

# # #

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Maryland LCV educates and activates people to take equitable and just political actions for clean water, healthy air, and climate-resilient communities.

Founded in 1892, the Sierra Club is America’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization. The Maryland Chapter has over 70,000 members and supporters, and the Sierra Club nationwide has approximately 800,000 members.

Spanberger Energy Plan Strongly Prioritizes Low-Cost Clean Energy

Modeling demonstrates urgent need to curb data center load growth


RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) released today her State Energy Plan, a document required by state code that must outline approaches to achieving a net-zero economy across all sectors no later than 2045. The Plan’s policy recommendations strongly depart from the gas and nuclear-heavy approach favored by former Governor Glenn Youngkin and instead principally focus on unlocking low-cost, clean energy resources that meet the Governor’s affordability goals and are aligned with state decarbonization statutes. The Plan takes seriously the potential for energy efficiency, demand flexibility, and distributed energy resources to contribute meaningfully to a sophisticated, modern grid. 

The Plan leans on existing state statute and load growth forecasts to produce resource portfolio model outputs that also make clear that the Commonwealth needs strong action to curb data center load growth. The Governor’s remarks made clear that the three “policy adjusted” scenarios are preferred by the administration and policy recommendations are in keeping with said scenarios. While not a major contributor to those preferred scenarios, gas fuel cells – modeled in the Plan principally to power data centers behind-the-meter – contribute carbon emissions to the atmosphere that accelerate climate change.

 Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), issued the following statement:

“What a difference a year makes. Governor Spanberger’s Energy Plan is a massive departure from the unserious, polluter-friendly agenda peddled by the Youngkin Administration. The Plan clearly prioritizes low-cost, clean energy resources and the development of a modern, flexible grid. It is high time we thoughtfully grapple with the short- and long-term costs of pollution to health and communities, as this Plan does. 

We further appreciate that the Plan ensures that utility incentives and compensation are aligned with performance outcomes, and renewable procurement is competitive and results in the low-cost projects we see nationwide. This is particularly important as we face the potential for the NextEra/Dominion mega-merger, a union we believe will result in higher energy costs and greater political interference. 

This Plan comes at an exceptionally challenging moment for energy affordability. The modeling output demonstrates that AI data center load growth is out of control. Virginia communities should house energy infrastructure that serves community needs, not Big Tech profits. We should not add a single Megawatt of data center demand to the Virginia energy landscape until policy protections are fully realized.”

After several months of stakeholder and community input as to problems, methodologies, and solutions the administration should prioritize, the Plan outlines five different policy scenarios and the electricity resource portfolios that could meet demand under those conditions. The low and no new gas policy scenarios represent the lowest-cost resource portfolios when the impact of air pollutants to public health and the economy is accounted for. Such costs are externalized to Virginia families through burdens such as hospital bills, crop failures, and extreme weather events, and are often unaccounted for in utility planning models that favor polluting resources. 

#   #   #

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Scientists and Skeptics Gathered at Climate Week NYC for Serious Exploration of Solar Geoengineering

Nearly 100 experts on all sides of the solar geoengineering debate gathered to explore responsible research into the emerging climate technology

 

NEW YORK, NY – Once a fringe topic in the climate community, a solar reflection methods (SRM) educational event hosted by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) convened nearly 100 scientists, policymakers, civil society organizations, and other climate leaders at Climate Week NYC on Wednesday, September 23. 

Traditionally discussed primarily in technical and academic settings, SRM is increasingly prompting broader public-policy debate. This week, CCAN’s SRM Research Hub Crawl: Building a Community for Responsible Research and Governance demonstrated a growing demand for a seat at the table as the research moves forward. While SRM is not a substitute for rapidly cutting greenhouse gas emissions, participants explored how research, public engagement, oversight, and governance should shape any consideration of the field.

“Climate change is already forcing societies to confront difficult choices, and at the same time SRM research is growing,” said Quentin Scott, Senior Federal Policy Director at CCAN. “That does not mean deployment is inevitable or desirable. It means the public deserves a transparent, inclusive conversation about what research is taking place, what uncertainties remain, and what governance safeguards would be required. Decisions about whether, how, and under what conditions research proceeds must be informed by rigorous science, strong safeguards, public accountability, and the people most affected by climate change.”

At the “Hub Crawl,” participants moved between interactive “hubs” hosted by participating organizations. The hubs examined the science of SRM, emerging governance frameworks, policy debates, and approaches to meaningful public engagement. CCAN’s convening created space for participants with different perspectives to engage directly with the research and governance challenges surrounding the topic.

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS), one of the nation’s leading science-policy organizations, joined CCAN as a co-host. “The science is clear: from glacier collapse and flash flooding in the Himalayas to unbearable heat around the world, climate change is making our world more extreme and more dangerous,” said Dr. Hannah Safford, Associate Director of Climate and Environment at FAS. “We owe it to ourselves, our neighbors, and our kids to rigorously, responsibly explore tools like SRM that could help reduce climate risks, even as we continue to ramp up mitigation and adaptation. CCAN has been a leader in this work, and we look forward to continued collaboration.”

“I’ve been following the field of solar radiation modification closely since 2010, from conferences to field experiments,” said Ben Kalina, Director and Producer of Plan C For Civilization Documentary. “It’s always been dangerously shrouded in mystery, dominated by a small number of researchers and personalities. But then came the SRM Hub Crawl. Not only was it designed with the public as the audience rather than the usual suspects of insiders, but it was FUN. Standing on the roof, talking about the earth’s reflectivity, it was like a Sci-Fi mini-convention sharing what we’ve learned – and what we don’t know – with a curious and questioning climate week community.” 

Through this event and other convenings on SRM, CCAN continues to move the needle on climate intervention technology discussions. Participating organizations included: Federation of American Scientists, University of Chicago, Reflective, Degrees Initiative, Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, Environmental Defense Fund, Plan C For Civilization Documentary, and SRM360. 

###

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC and beyond.

Gov. Moore’s Data Center Executive Order Takes Positive Steps But Fails to Embrace Moratorium and Clean Energy Mandate, Leaves Communities Vulnerable

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore took positive steps to protect Marylanders from the harms of data centers with his executive order (EO) released today. In a press conference announcing the EO, the Governor spelled out five principles guiding the state’s criteria for considering data center projects, barred Maryland employees from entering into nondisclosure agreements with data center developers, and called on the General Assembly to repeal the sales and use tax exemption for data centers. However, the EO fails to establish a statewide moratorium on data center development, something county and municipal leaders have been seeking for months. It also contains no explicit clean energy requirements for data centers even as the global climate unravels. 

With 80 percent of Marylanders – including residents across red and blue regions – now living under some kind of temporary local ban or moratorium on data centers, leaders and activists across the state have been hoping Moore or the General Assembly would establish rigorous state-level guidance and leadership on this critical issue. At the top of that wish list is a multi-year state-level pause on new data center permits to allow true reform policies to be developed and take hold. Moore even told Punchbowl News last week that he would sign a moratorium bill from the General Assembly if it reached his desk in 2027.

Governor Moore’s executive order falls silent on this issue. Instead, his EO establishes the Maryland Data Center Accountability Task Force that must consider whether a data center project meets five principles: ratepayer and grid protections; economic benefits for Marylanders, including local hiring and union jobs; the preservation of community input, including no state preemption of local decisions; language around environmental protections, but no requirements for clean energy; and transparency and accountability, including the establishment of a public dashboard to track proposed projects and the commitments made by data center companies. Several of the outlined principles begin to address on-site pollution, rising energy bills associated with data center infrastructure and demand, and community impacts, but the principles are vague and leave the agencies with little direction and significant discretion. 

Also, with climate change impacts escalating across Maryland and the world, Governor Moore in his executive order, fails to require all new energy required from future data centers come from 100 percent clean power, a top priority of virtually every environmental group in the state. The EO directs the Task Force to look at the State’s climate commitments, but they are just one factor to be considered; the EO does not mandate adherence to the state’s climate goals or require data centers to run on clean energy. 

Brittany Baker, Maryland Director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), issued the following statement:

“Governor Moore’s executive order takes several meaningful steps forward and the legislature will have to finish the task. Maryland communities confronting data center development speak in the language of bans and moratoriums. A statewide multi-year pause on data center development is the most logical next step.

“Given the deepening climate crisis, Gov. Moore and the General Assembly must explicitly require all new data centers run on 100% clean energy. Period. Full stop.

“A multi-year statewide pause on new data center approvals is needed until strong, enforceable protections for ratepayers, water, air, land, and the climate are fully in place. With scientists warning that the window to prevent the worst impacts of climate change is rapidly narrowing, Maryland should not lock itself into a new wave of massive energy demand and fossil-fuel infrastructure before those safeguards exist.”

CCAN is supportive of policy proposals to ensure that data centers pay for infrastructure they incentivize the incumbent utility to build, procure their own clean energy resources, ban nondisclosure agreements, eliminate by-right development, and close regulatory loopholes that allow diesel generation to escape compliance with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. 

CCAN is now calling on Marylanders to sign the petition for a statewide moratorium on new data center development. In addition, the group will be hosting “People Over Data Centers”- Maryland Action Summit on November 7 in Baltimore alongside Nature Forward. 

#   #   #

Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. 

Maryland Clean Heat Coalition Urges Policymakers to Prioritize Upgrading Homes on Delivered Fuels with Heat Pumps 

Launch of $72.5 million Heat Pump Rebate Program provides opportunity to deliver immediate economic relief for Maryland households facing massive heating cost spikes

 

BALTIMORE, MD — As Maryland residents who rely on heating oil and propane are expected to see winter heating bills spike as much as 31%, the Maryland Clean Heat Coalition today submitted comments urging the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) to use more than $72 million in recently approved funding as part of its Heat Pump Rebate Program to target low- and moderate-income households on delivered fuels and electric resistance. The General Assembly included this funding in its fiscal year 2027 budget.

Delivered fuels such as propane and heating oil, used by roughly 10% of Maryland households, are some of the most expensive ways to heat a home in Maryland today. Thanks to the ongoing war in Iran, federal price estimates reveal heating oil prices have increased 120% since January. Residents who rely on inefficient electric resistance heating are likewise exposed to mounting energy bills due to data center demand and requests by utilities to increase profit margins. Targeting low-income residents for heat pump upgrades, who disproportionately rely on these technologies for home heating, can deliver $350 million in energy cost savings per year by 2050, according to the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter and the Center for Progressive Reform. 

“Ahead of the heating season, thousands of low- and moderate-income households across Maryland are experiencing sticker shock as they purchase delivered fuels for the winter,” said Anne Havemann, Deputy Director at Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “These households are facing the worst of the energy affordability crisis, and Maryland must work quickly to help. That’s why we are urging policymakers to ensure that $72 million in funding passed by lawmakers this past legislative session is used to upgrade households on delivered fuels and electric resistance with efficient heat pumps.”

To maximize savings, Maryland must ensure quality installations and build the pool of experienced contractors across the state. In their recommendations, advocates stressed the importance of investing in workforce development programs and streamlined processes to ensure contractor participation in the program. That includes a statewide heat pump contractor network, similar to one in Maine, where verified contractors can be matched with Maryland residents and access training resources.

“Contractors will be on the front lines of implementing Maryland’s Heat Pump Rebate Program,” said Sean Mallonee, of SM Mechanical and President of Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors of Maryland.“To ensure they are supported, policymakers must partner with manufacturers and educational institutions to provide contractors with the required technical training. The state must also create streamlined processes that ease the barriers to entry and participation for contractors while also ensuring those contractors are legitimate to protect homeowners as well.  By creating a Heat Pump Rebate Program that supports licensed contractors, Maryland will not only accelerate the adoption of heat pumps but also create good-paying jobs in the process with consumer protection in place.”

The coalition urged MEA to structure the Heat Pump Rebate Program to align with the state’s forthcoming Clean Heat Rules, a set of complementary policies that would phase in zero-emission heating equipment in Maryland households to lower energy bills and invest in healthier air statewide. MEA should also coordinate with other state and utility programs, including EmPOWER Maryland, to braid resources and offer households incentives for wrap-around services that can deliver greater savings, including energy efficiency upgrades and weatherization.

“A whole-house approach to electrification has been proven to lower energy bills, improve indoor air quality, and enhance comfort,” said Ruth Ann Norton, president and CEO of the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative. “That is why policies such as the Heat Pump Rebate Program must be designed to work in tandem with Maryland’s upcoming Clean Heat Rules and energy efficiency program, EmPOWER. By doing so, Maryland can comprehensively address safety, structure, and energy-inefficiency issues in a home, delivering major economic benefits and quality of life improvements for residents.”

Failing to upgrade residents on the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland with zero-emission equipment risks locking in rising energy bills and long-term pollution impacts of fossil fuel heating. Gas utilities are working to expand their networks in these regions despite having some of the highest rates in the entire state—nearly $1 per therm higher than other Maryland utilities. Households will not only lose out on greater savings achieved by heat pumps, but be saddled with the mounting costs of maintaining Maryland’s aging gas system. If Maryland fails to quickly upgrade households on delivered fuels with heat pumps, they could be locked into the polluting gas system for at least another 15 years.

“Switching Maryland households on delivered fuels to methane gas isn’t a viable solution, especially as gas prices rise,” said Bryan Dunning, senior policy analyst at Center for Progressive Reform. “Letting utilities expand the polluting gas system to more households risks hooking residents on a stranded asset. Instead, the focus should be on switching to efficient electric systems that will bear long-term energy and health savings to ratepayers.”

Additional statements from organizations can be found below:

“Nearly 42% of Maryland households reported struggling to pay their utility bill last year, indicating the extent of the state’s energy affordability crisis,” said Rev. Catherine Manhardt, climate equity team leader at the Maryland Just Power Alliance. “As families struggle to get by, there are steps that policymakers can take to provide immediate relief. That includes transitioning low- and moderate-income homes with inefficient electric resistance systems or delivered fuels to efficient electric heat pumps, which can provide thousands of dollars in savings.”

“Households relying on delivered fuels and inefficient electric resistance to heat their homes are set to face skyrocketing energy costs this winter,” said Tony Sirna, deputy policy director at Evergreen Action. “It’s why advocates are urging policymakers to design and quickly distribute $72 in funding that targets these energy-burdened households with heat pump upgrades that are proven to lower energy bills.”

###

Spanberger Data Center Platform Takes Steps Forward, But Communities Still Need “Pause to Protect”

Platform represents major improvement upon status quo, but communities in crisis need immediate relief through pause on data center development

 

RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger released today her “Data Center Accountability Framework,” which includes a combination of executive actions and policy endorsements to protect communities and the environment from data centers. Several of the endorsed policies take notable steps to address on-site pollution, rising energy bills associated with data center infrastructure and demand, and community impacts. However, the platform does not include a pause on data center development or a ban on on-site gas generation for primary power. Communities around the Commonwealth are calling for a moratorium on data center approvals until comprehensive policy guardrails are in place to protect communities and the environment, a platform called “Pause to Protect.”

Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), issued the following statement:

“We appreciate that the Governor’s platform takes several major steps forward, but also that communities facing data center development are in crisis right now. We need a pause on data center approvals until water-tight environmental and community protections are on the books and being enforced. Scientists are begging policymakers to take decisive action yesterday to stop runaway climate change, while the Trump Administration moves to allow limitless pollution. We must stop the madness and issue an immediate pause on approvals until these protections – and more – are fully implemented.”

CCAN is supportive of policy proposals to ensure that data centers pay for infrastructure they incentivize the incumbent utility to build, procure their own clean energy resources, ban Non-Disclosure Agreements, eliminate by-right development, and close regulatory loopholes that allow diesel generation to escape compliance with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. While the Governor’s platform suggests strong limits on behind-the-meter, or directly-connected, gas turbines as a means of primary power for data centers, CCAN advocates for an all-out ban on such on-site gas generation. 

#   #   #

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

New York Climate Superfund Court Ruling Not the Final Word on State Superfund Laws

Controversial decision undercuts New York law that sought $75 billion from the largest historical emitters to fund climate resilience, rather than taxpayers footing the bill for extreme weather impacts

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite a controversial ruling out of New York State, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) vowed to continue efforts to make polluters, not taxpayers, pay for mounting climate damages.  A federal circuit court judge ruled Monday that New York could not enforce its Climate Change Superfund Act. This ruling, which will likely be appealed, was based on a controversial decision made by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and does not amount to a national rejection of climate superfund laws.

New York’s Superfund law, enacted in 2024, would have required the world’s largest fossil fuel companies responsible for significant historical greenhouse gas emissions to contribute to a $75 billion fund supporting climate resilience and adaptation in the Empire State. The fund was designed to help frontline communities address the escalating financial burdens of flooding, extreme heat, infrastructure damage, and other climate change-related impacts. 

“Communities should not be forced to shoulder the enormous costs of a climate crisis they did not create,” said Quentin Scott, Federal Policy Director at Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “For decades, fossil fuel companies have profited from selling products that drive climate change, while families are left paying for flooded homes, damaged infrastructure, extreme heat, and rising costs. The industry’s preferred outcome is that the public pays all the costs of their pollution. We cannot accept a system where polluters keep the profits and taxpayers are left with the bill.”

As communities across the country face mounting costs from climate-driven disasters and extreme weather, climate superfund laws are an effort to establish a simple principle we all learn as children: those who helped make the mess should help clean up the mess. 

This is NOT the final word on state superfund bills. The result is a reflection of one judge’s interpretation of a controversial precedent from a fundamentally different case. That controversial precedent is not binding across most of the rest of the country, and states should not be discouraged from pursuing innovative approaches to climate accountability. CCAN will continue to pursue Superfund policies in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

###

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC and beyond.