Register today for the February 27th Climate Town Hall & Open House - seats are limited!

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Climate News

Covering the latest climate news in Montgomery County, MD

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Montgomery County Climate News. We appreciate the opportunity to keep you updated on the urgent and bold steps that we will take together to address the Climate Emergency.

You are receiving this newsletter because you are (or had previously applied to be) a member of the Climate Technical Workgroups or expressed interest in receiving updates on the County’s Climate Planning Process. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe here.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020 | Department of Environmental Protection


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Register Today for the Climate Open House

Join us on Thursday, February 27 from 6-8 pm at United Therapeutics in downtown Silver Spring for the Montgomery County Climate Action Plan Town Hall & Open House. At this town hall and open house, the five community-based climate planning workgroups will present their recommendations for Montgomery County to reduce GHG emissions, build resilience to climate impacts, and support more equitable communities now and in the future.

Members of the public will have an opportunity to review and provide feedback on the workgroup recommendations during the event. If you are unable to attend the event in-person, there will also be an option to provide online comments on the workgroup recommendations, starting in February, at the County’s climate planning website.

Space is limited, so register today to reserve your spot.


Request for Proposals for Climate Action and Resilience Plan Consultant

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The County seeks to create a strategic plan – the Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) – to guide our efforts.  In addition to helping the County meet its GHG reduction goals, the CARP will identify ways to become more resilient to a changing climate.  This solicitation will support a multi-year program designed to identify specific actionable steps that the County Government and community partners could take to reduce community-wide GHG emissions, and to assess and reduce the County’s vulnerabilities to a changing climate. To read the Request for Proposals (RFP), please visit the County’s Office of Procurement website and search for RFP # 1113542 under the Formal Solicitations tab.

A pre-submission conference will be held on February 10, 2020 at 9 am at 255 Rockville Pike, Suite 120, Rockville, MD 20850. Any questions about this procurement should only be directed to:  DEP.Procurements@montgomerycountymd.gov.


Montgomery County’s Bold Climate Plan

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Climate planning workgroups, convened last year by County Executive Elrich, have been meeting over the past several months to compile recommendations for tackling climate change via buildings, transportation, clean energy, adaptation and sequestration, and public engagement. The County’s goal is to  reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2027 and 100% by 2035. Our climate planning process recently received media coverage. Learn more about our plans through this Washington Post article or this NBC4 video.


Montgomery County Ranks in Top 25 US Jurisdictions for Clean Energy Policies

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The American Council for a Clean Energy Economy (ACEE)’s Local Clean Energy Self-Scoring Tool ranked Montgomery County among the top 25 jurisdictions for its clean energy policies in 2019. The County scores best in buildings and transportation sectors, partly because of its benchmarking disclosure program and location-efficient zoning codes.


What is Montgomery Energy Connection?

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Learn more about the energy you use at home! Montgomery Energy Connection is a collection of trusted and unbiased information, a central hub for energy resources, and an outreach network that provides all residents with user-friendly, energy-saving resources that will improve their daily lives and preserve a healthy environment for future generations. The website is a one-stop service to answer all energy questions and concerns from lowering your utility bill to switching to clean energy. Visit Montgomery Energy Connection today!


Green Job Opportunities

Job Opportunities

Start of 2020 with a resolution to spend your 9-5 working on climate solutions. Check out DEP’s Green Job Portal for new opportunities, including opportunities with the Montgomery County Green Bank, ACEEE, and Montgomery County's DEP!


Climate News Round-Up

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U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell slightly in 2019 (The Washington Post)

Our Climate as an Infrastructure Asset (RMI)

State of the climate: How the world warmed in 2019 (Carbon Brief)

2019 was the "Year of Energy Codes" (New Buildings Institute)

Maryland Solar Energy Credits Start Year with New High (The Bay Net)

2,000 gigawatts of solar power needed for 100% renewables (PV Mazagine)

On-Farm Solar Grows as Farmers See Economic Rewards—and Risks (Civil Eats)

How to Prevent City Climate Action from Becoming “Green Gentrification” (The CityFix)

Five Predictions for the Decade the Climate Comes Undone (Medium)

Electric Cars Will Challenge State Power Grids (Route Fifty)

Potomac Edison to install 59 public EV charging stations (Daily Energy Insider)

Making Emissions Visible (Energy Transition Magazine)

Climate action infiltrates CES, electronics industry must do more (GreenBiz)

Companies heed the call on climate change (Smart Energy Decisions)


Upcoming Events

All throughout the month of FeBREWary, visit local breweries and swap your old bulbs for free LEDs! Learn where we’ll be here.

January 29 | Webinar
Energy Justice and Solving Climate by 2030

January 30 | Rockville, MD
Climate Adaptation and Sequestration Workgroup Meeting

February 4 | Langley Park, MD
Transit Equity Day Celebration

February 5 | Silver Spring, MD
Public Engagement/Education Workgroup Meeting

February 12 | Silver Spring, MD
Climate Adaptation and Sequestration Workgroup Meeting

February 18 | Rockville, MD
Climate Planning Technical Cross-Workgroup Meeting

February 27 | Silver Spring, MD
Montgomery County Climate Action Plan Town Hall & Open House

March 3 | Silver Spring, MD
Big Ideas: Housing for All

April 1 & 2 | Silver Spring, MD
Montgomery County Energy Summit - Registration opens February 4th!