Mike Tidwell is the founder and executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and a successful author. For the past 20 years he has dedicated practically every day of his life to doing the most he possibly can to reduce the harmful impacts of climate change. In the past two years or so that has meant on top of being an executive director for a regional non-profit, waking up before dawn every day so he could write a new book.That book, The Lost Trees of Willow Ave, a story of climate and hope on one American Street, is now out and available for purchase. It is an emotionally gripping narrative with valuable and at times surprising insights on where the climate movement is headed. I am overjoyed to have Mike on the show to talk about his new book.
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55:54
Session Recap 2025: A Deep Dive Into The Leadership Energy Bills
Congratulations on finishing the legislative session of 2025 everyone! I want to say a heartfelt and genuine thank you to every lawmaker and every staffer who worked this session. As we are seeing on the federal level, a functioning government is not something to be taken for granted, and it is only possible here in Maryland because of your tremendous work and dedication. Thank you for your public service to Maryland and to your country. This year legislative leaders in the House and Senate passed a package of three energy bills to address Maryland energy problems. Brittany Baker and I walked through these three bills as they were introduced in a previous episode, but I want to revisit them because a lot got changed and there were significant improvements and additions to the legislation, so in this episode I will go over everything in the leadership energy package and what the bills accomplish.
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37:13
The Benefits of Advanced Clean Cars and Trucks
Advanced Clean Cars II is, according to MDE, Maryland’s single largest climate pollution reduction strategy over the long term, and Advanced Clean Trucks is a second program having a significant positive impact on Maryland’s transition off of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, there is legislation being considered this year, HB1556, that would delay the enforcement of both of these programs. In that context, I wanted to talk with Maryland’s leading clean transportation expert and advocate, Lindsey Mendelson who is the Senior Transportation Campaign Representative at Maryland Sierra Club to talk about Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks, the benefits that these programs have for Maryland, and why it’s more important than ever to defend them.
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45:47
The Prescription Drug Affordability Board
Today we take a break from our normal energy focused programing to talk about a historic and nationally significant bill moving through the legislature in Maryland, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board HB424/SB357. At a time when prices for everything are going up, Maryland lawmakers have found a way to lower the cost to Marylander of one of the most expensive and necessary items in many of our lives, prescription drugs. To tell us all about it I am overjoyed to have on the show today the founder and executive director of the Maryland Citizens Health Initiative and my wonderful dad, Vincent DeMarco.
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29:06
New Modeling on Maryland’s Electricity Grid
In Annapolis there is much debate about what Maryland’s electric grid does or doesn’t need, one thing that has been decidedly absent is any publicly available modeling about Maryland’s electric grid. That’s why I am so thrilled that the respected modeling firm Center for Climate Strategies has just put out a new report based on a model they created of Maryland’s energy system. This report has so many helpful insights that are directly relevant to policies currently being considered by lawmakers in Annapolis. For example, there is no publicly available modeling showing that Maryland needs new gas generation in order to meet growing energy demand, and spoiler alert, this report also does not find that Maryland needs new gas to meet growing demand. To talk about that and the many other revelations from the model he created and the report he just released, my guest today is Tom Peterson, the founder and CEO of Center for Climate Strategies. To see the full CCS report click here.
Maryland Energy Talk explores how we can build a cleaner, more affordable, reliable, energy system for Maryland. We will explore new ideas about energy and review the fundamentals of our energy system.
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