This legislative session, Maryland State Representatives are expected to tackle two major environmental issues: Offshore Wind and Fracking. At Clean Currents, we're helping you stay up to date with how these issues are being discussed, debated, and what -- if anything -- will be passed into law this year. We will be posting updates every two weeks over the next 90 days, so read on to learn about these two issues and check back often for updates.

Offshore Wind

Over the past 3 years, there has been a push in support of offshore wind production in Maryland. Last year, the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012 passed in the House, but did not come to a vote in the Senate.
This year, there have been some early moves to help clear the path for offshore wind legislation, including the approval of a contract for a wind survey off the coast of Ocean City, MD.

Additionally, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller publically stated that he wants to see the issue debated this year, and is prepared to change the make up of the Senate Finance Committee to make that happen.

The renewal of the PTC is also helps the case for offshore wind, ensuring the subsidy remains in place for another year.

Fracking

Although the legislative session just started, this controversial issue is already front and center. Protests over fracking are already up and running. Yesterday, CCAN held a "Water Taste Test" outside the State House, while putting forward a bill to ban fracking in Maryland.

An advisory commission studying fracking in Maryland met this Monday, and proposed 3 bills to address concerns about fracking. The suggested bills included:

1. A state "severance tax" on gas extracted to help pay for effects on nearby communities
2. Giving landowners the right to be compensated if drilling hurts their property
3. Require all "land men" who negotiate drilling leases to register with the state

Read more about the advisory commission here.

Looking for background on what fracking is all about? See our brief on hydraulic fracturing from 2011 and a recent primer in Harvard Magazine.

These two hot topics will continue to develop over the next 90 days. We'll be posting updates every 2 weeks to keep you informed on where these issues stand for the next 88 days of the legislative session. Keep up by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Clean Currents powered La Prima Catering is a unique catering company serving the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC region for over 20 years and, just like Clean Currents, recently expanded to Philadelphia, PA. Their commitment to sustainable, organically grown food, especially through their Seeds to Celebrations initiative, compelled me to speak with Kim Haines, Marketing Coordinator for La Prima Catering, to learn more about their environmental commitments.

Kim enthusiastically explained La Prima's environmentally conscious endeavors, saying, "La Prima is dedicated to incorporating sustainability within its business plan".  Beyond purchasing renewable power, La Prima reduces its environmental impact by growing their own food in their onsite vegetable garden, composting food scraps and has various educational programs to encourage more sustainable living.  Their more recent initiative, Seeds to Celebrations, gives clients the opportunity to have their meal locally, organicially, ans sustainably grown just for them.

Make your next catering event sustainable and delicious with help from La Prima.  Learn more or email them directly at info@laprimacatering.com.

Photo courtesy of Groundswell

Stopping home energy waste can be valuable, not just to the environment, but also your wallet, home health and safety, and the overall comfort of where you live.

Find out just how Groundswell can help you make your home a warmer and greener place to live this winter.

For many community members, however, energy upgrades are not on the top of their leisure-time agenda. Yet, the number of homeowners across Maryland and the D.C. metro area who invest in energy upgrades is steadily climbing. Why?

The power of community.

By tapping into the strength of community connections, Groundswell, a local non-profit organization, has made it more enticing for community members to complete home energy upgrades and weatherization projects.

Groundswell's Strong Homes Program brings together homeowners as a group of consumers. Approaching their work as a group means, community members are more likely to complete their home energy upgrades and not get stalled along the way.

This allows local home performance businesses to offer community members discounts -- on average 15 percent - on home energy services, in addition to rebates and tax incentives.

The purchasing groups can stretch across various neighborhoods. A past project, anchored in Capitol Hill, also included homes in Bloomingdale, Petworth, Eckington and Edgewood.

Will you join your community to invest in a home energy upgrade?  Call or email Groundswell Field Organizer Peter Roquemore at 202-573-8361 or peter.roquemore@groundswell.org today.

 Photo Courtesy of Groundswell

We are thrilled to announce our official opening in Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania! Clean Currents is open for business in PPL and PECO utility areas, serving residents and businesses in Philly, Lancaster, Harrisburg, and most of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Why Pennsylvania, you may ask? First, our Neighborhood Wind is sourced from Highland North Wind Farm in Cambria County, PA. By opening in Pennsylvania, we are able to serve residents and businesses with wind power from their own state, bringing people even closer to the source of their power.

Second, Philly is working to become the greenest city in the country by 2015. Through initiatives by Mayor Nutter and community organizations, Philly is going green -- and quick. Initiatives include: recycling rewards programs, storm water management, tree give-aways, expanding farmers markets and access to local food, improving energy efficiency, and bringing bike share to Philly. Although it wasn't always considered a green city, Philly is quickly turning its reputation around and giving DC a run for its money for the award of greenest city in the US.

Our great Pennsylvania based staff is hitting the ground running in Philly at our Walnut Street office. Stay up to date with Pennsylvania happenings through our Clean Currents PA Facebook Page, and contact them directly at 215-525-2955.

We are also offering a special rate for customers in PPL and PECO through February. Help us spread the word about our new launch and this promotion to your Philly and Pennsylvania based friends and family by directing them to www.windpowerpa.com

Maryland and DC customers: you've been so good to us over these last 7 years. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm about what we are doing at Clean Currents. It's thanks to you that we can expand our operations to serve even more people with clean, renewable energy, and work to build a greener future together.