Letter to the editor by Brooke Harper
Herald-Mail Media
As an environmental advocate and activist, I was excited to see the Potomac Edison community solar project launched. Community solar allows residents to access solar by becoming subscribers to solar projects, and in turn, they receive credit toward their energy bill because of their partial ownership in the solar field.
Community solar across Maryland will give access to solar energy to renters, low- and moderate-income customers, and millions of Maryland residents who can’t have rooftop solar. Yet, more importantly, investing in clean energy solutions like community solar will help to ensure that we are lessening our dependence on dirty fossil fuel projects like the Potomac Pipeline that Gov. Hogan recently approved, and preserving our environment for future generations.
With the recent devastation of Ellicott City, Md., and the severe flooding that has taken place across our state, it is clear that our state is feeling the impacts of climate change. As a coastal state that has more than 3,000 miles of shoreline, we are one of the most vulnerable states to the effects of sea level rise spurred by climate change. We need to ensure that the Hogan administration and legislators in Annapolis support measures that move us forward and not backward on climate change, and that we are powering our communities with wind and solar — not fracked gas.
