The Future of Power Generation on the Eastern Shore

Jim Bogden • March 20, 2019

America’s energy future has become a hot topic: with presidential candidates endorsing or opposing the Green New Deal, energy is likely to be a major issue in the 2020 elections.

Five power plants that burn fossil fuels to generate electricity are located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. One, Rock Springs in Cecil County, burns only natural gas and the others burn oil. Each of the oil-burning plants is about 50 years old.

While burning coal produces the most climate-changing carbon dioxide, oil is not far behind in the amount of CO2 produced per unit of energy. Most climate scientists advise that all coal- and oil-burning power plants should be phased out as soon as possible to reduce society’s output of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Burning natural gas is widely considered an acceptable interim solution as the economy gradually transitions to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. Yet, while natural gas burns cleaner than oil, and is cheaper, it still produces about 70% as much CO2 per unit of energy. Many scientists advocate that natural gas also be abandoned as soon as possible to minimize dangerous climate change.

In any event, the oil-burning plants on the Eastern Shore cannot be easily or quickly converted to burn natural gas because new pipelines would have to be built to bring in the fuel. It is not difficult to imagine how controversial that would be in our change-averse communities. The alternative is to rapidly build new, utility-scale solar and wind generating capacity—which is also controversial. Kent County officials are currently resisting a proposed new solar farm, while Ocean City is fighting offshore wind generation. There are no easy answers.

Maryland's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS), enacted in May 2004 and revised numerous times since, requires all electricity suppliers to procure a minimum portion of their electric retail sales by eligible renewable energy sources. In February 2017 the RPS was raised to 25 percent by 2020. The legislature is currently debating the proposed “Clean Energy Jobs Act” ( Senate Bill 516/ House Bill 1158), which would require that 50 percent of Maryland’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2030. Contact your legislators if you have an opinion on the matter.

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Common Sense for the Eastern Shore

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