Lights Out: Maryland's Energy Independence Day

This Saturday at noon, houses and apartments across the state of Maryland may suddenly go dark. No, it's not a crisis or religious observance, but rather, a vigil of another kind. To fight global warming and promote energy independence, Maryland's Democratic Party has called for "one green hour" this weekend, in which citizens are asked to turn off their lights, air conditioning, appliances, televisions, and radios.

The goal is to raise awareness about energy issues, and for families to use the hour to make their homes more energy-efficient. Amongst the least intensive suggestions for doing so is to replace all light bulbs in the home with compact fluorescents.

Today, Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) issued a statement, saying that "The time to get serious about protecting our world against the devastation of global climate change is now. The scientific evidence is clear. The threat of global warming is real."

He also called participation in Maryland's Energy Independence Day a "public statement by the people of Maryland" to Washington. The chance of such a message actually being heard might be helped by the fact that Maryland borders on the District of Columbia. Many public officials and lawmakers make their domicile in the Free State and the determination of their neighbors to inconvenience themselves, even for an hour, might have an impact on their thinking about global warming.

Of course, the context in which Maryland's Energy Independence Day is being held cannot be forgotten. An issue that loomed over the gubernatorial race in 2006, was the gigantic rate hikes proposed by BG&E and approved by the Maryland Public Service commission. Due to energy deregulation, Maryland consumers face an enormous hit to the pocketbook that may make the difference for some between staying above the poverty line and falling over the edge.

During the election, O'Malley hit then-Governor Ehrlich hard for his perceived failure to fight back against the rate hikes, or even show that he cared about the burden they placed on consumers. But once in office, the Capital Gazette reported that O'Malley's Public Service Commission had "reluctance, but little legal option" to prevent the hike.

As of June 1^st, BG&E raised their rates by fifty percent and now Governor O'Malley knows he's facing an angry electorate. It can be no accident that Maryland's Energy Independence day comes on the heels of today's Energy Summit in Maryland where the Governor met with experts to implement so-called "smart metering" technology that will help consumers lower their bills and protect the environment.

--

Liam Ferrell, "Report describes Maryland energy system as incapable," Bowie-Blade News (Capital-Gazette Communications, Inc.)

USNewswire, "Leading Energy Expert: Maryland Paving Way for Smart Grid," Galvin Electricity Initiative.