Annapolis, Md. - Following is a statement from Sean Gallagher, vice president of state affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association, on the Maryland Legislature's passage of the Clean Energy Jobs Act, setting the state on a path to 50 percent renewable energy by 2030:

“Late last night, Maryland state lawmakers passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), a historic bill that puts the state on track to 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, including a 14.5 percent carve-out for solar energy. The bill also requires state officials to examine pathways to 100 percent clean energy by 2040. Passing 95-40 in the House and 31-15 in the Senate, CEJA takes Maryland toward the top of a growing list of states with ambitious and significant renewable energy targets. After Maryland saw a chunk of its solar jobs lost in 2018, this legislation will spark economic activity in the state that will bring many of those jobs back, while expanding clean energy production and strengthening the state’s economy.

“With Governor Hogan’s signature, Maryland will join the ranks of other states taking bold steps to address climate change, while creating quality, local jobs and providing energy choice for consumers. We want to congratulate our partner organizations MDV-SEIA and Vote Solar for their tireless advocacy and work on this legislation, and are urging Governor Hogan to quickly sign the bill so that residents across the state can begin seeing the benefits of a bolstered clean energy economy.”

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About SEIA®:

Celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2019, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry, which now employs more than 242,000 Americans. Through advocacy and education, SEIA® is building a strong solar industry to power America. SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to build jobs and diversity, champion the use of cost-competitive solar in America, remove market barriers and educate the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.

Media Contact:

Morgan Lyons, SEIA's Senior Communications Manager, [email protected] (202) 556-2872