Gov. Martin O'Malley will support a bill that would impose some of the nation's toughest limits on global warming pollution, according to administration and legislative sources.
The legislation, which is scheduled to be considered by a state Senate committee today, would impose a 25 percent cut in greenhouse gases from all industries in Maryland by 2020 and a 90 percent cut by 2050.
"He understands the problem, and he understands that science backs it up, so I appreciate his efforts to push it through to become law," said Sen. Paul G. Pinsky, a Prince George's County Democrat and sponsor of the Global Warming Solutions Act.
Under the proposal, the state would use a system of financial penalties and rewards to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that scientists have concluded are warming the atmosphere and melting polar ice, causing rising sea levels.
Many environmental groups support the bill, saying that Maryland's low-lying Eastern Shore is especially vulnerable to flooding, with its hundreds of miles of coastline.
But business groups and many Republicans are fighting the proposal, saying that mandatory limits on carbon dioxide could drive businesses out of the state and derail the economy.
More regulations on pollution from power plants are likely to further drive up the cost of electricity and a wide variety of products and services that depend on electricity, critics say.
Republican Sen. David R. Brinkley, the Senate minority leader from Frederick County, said voters still smarting from O'Malley's recent tax increases will perceive this legislation as yet another tax.
"It's not going to be at all positive for the economy, but this legislature and this administration [don't] care," Brinkley said. "They are more interested in making political statements about saving the Earth than saving Maryland jobs."
Environment Maryland and other advocacy groups pushing the legislation counter that mandates for more alternative energy, such as wind and solar power, could create "green-collar" jobs.
It's not clear what the bill's chances of passage are. A similar bill failed last year, although the O'Malley administration helped win approval for a more limited "clean cars" bill that will cut emissions of global warming gases from vehicles by one-third.
