By Natalie Jones, Capital News Service

Maryland legislators have high hopes for passing a bill to increase the state’s renewable energy standards to 50 percent by 2030 and setting a plan in action to raise the standard to 100 percent by 2040, along with seeking to increase jobs in the renewable energy sector.

The legislation aims to have the state getting 50 percent of its energy from Tier 1 renewable sources by 2030, including at least 14.5 percent derived from solar energy and another amount specified by the Public Service Commission derived from offshore wind energy, including at least 1,200 megawatts of Round 2 offshore wind projects.

Tier 1 renewable energy resources include solar, wind, biomass, anaerobic decomposition, geothermal and ocean, among others.

The measure—Senate Bill 516 and House Bill 1158—will also require legislators to conduct a study to assess the costs and benefits of increasing the renewable energy standard to 100 percent renewable energy by 2040.

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