2011 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act of 2009 (GGRA) Draft Plan

Developing the 2011 GGRA Draft Plan

Maryland is among the states most vulnerable to climate change. With the fourth longest tidal coastline (behind only Florida, California and Louisiana), Maryland is the third state most vulnerable to sea level rise -- one of the major consequences of climate change. Rising sea levels, along with increased storm intensity could have devastating and far reaching environmental and economic impacts on the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and the environmental quality of life Marylanders currently enjoy.

Maryland's sizeable farming community could suffer costly losses during extreme droughts and heat waves. Marylanders everywhere will face an increased risk of floods and significant property damage as a result of heavier precipitation and other extreme weather events.

In 2009, Maryland Governor O'Malley and the Maryland General Assembly passed the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act of 2009 (GGRA). The law requires the State to develop and implement a Plan (the GGRA Plan or the Plan) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 25 percent from a 2006 baseline by 2020. The GGRA Plan must have a positive impact on job creation and contribute to Maryland's economic recovery.

The 2011 draft of the GGRA Plan fulfills the law's requirement for the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to submit a draft of the GGRA Plan to the Governor and General Assembly in advance of the final Plan. The final GGRA Plan is due in December of 2012. During the interim period, MDE will solicit public comment on the Plan through a series of public workshops. MDE is encouraging public comment on the Plan as a whole, on the 65 control measures that comprise the Plan and on any new ideas that members of the general public may have.

The 2011 draft Plan puts the State on track to achieve the 25 percent GHG reduction required by the law while also creating jobs abd improving Maryland's economy. The Plan also will help with other environmental priorities, including restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, improving air quality and other critical energy and national security issues.

Links to Associated Sources

Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

University of Maryland Center for Integrated Environmental Research

Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management

Maryland Department of Transportation

Maryland Energy Administration

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Contact Info

Please direct questions or comments concerning the 2011 GGRA Draft Plan to climate@mde.state.md.us.  Comments will be accepted through August 17, 2012.