Annapolis, MD – Late yesterday, a Maryland House Committee passed an amended version of Governor Wes Moore’s energy legislation that seeks to promote nuclear energy as a type of “clean energy”. The Empowering New Energy Resources and Green Initiatives Toward a Zero–Emission (ENERGIZE) Maryland Act alters fundamental language around the state’s renewable energy program, changing the “renewable energy portfolio standard” to a “clean energy portfolio standard.” The bill will be sent to the full House floor for a vote. 

Nuclear energy is not a clean source of energy. Nuclear reactors release toxic and radioactive chemicals into the environment that have health and environmental consequences on the communities where they are located.

Under the amended bill, Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant — Maryland’s only source of nuclear energy generation — would contribute to the state’s overall “clean energy” goal. The Calvert Cliffs reactors would likely count as 20-25% in clean energy generation under the bill’s language change.

In response, Food & Water Watch Southern Regional Director Jorge Aguilar issued the following statement, 

“Today’s vote is an alarming sign for Maryland’s energy and climate future. The House’s last minute resurrection and passage of the ENERGIZE Act is a gut punch to the environmental community. If this bill is passed, the governor and state leaders can deceptively claim that nuclear energy contributes toward the state’s 100% clean energy goal, all while doing little to bring true renewables online. 

“We know that legislators are also promoting the buildout of new nuclear reactors in the Next Generation Energy Act (SB 937/HB 1035). But every dollar spent on expensive nuclear energy is a dollar that could go toward true renewables. We don’t have time to lose in our energy transition, but today’s decision shows an unwillingness in the legislator to truly address and mitigate the worst impact of climate change.”