LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Energy companies contribute thousands to Maryland Democrats 

Credit:  By: Hayley Peterson, Examiner Staff Writer, washingtonexaminer.com 29 September 2011 ~~

Energy companies have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Gov. Martin O’Malley and other Democrats in their attempts to build political support for wind farms, solar projects and other energy-related initiatives.

Constellation Energy, a large Baltimore power company that started construction Thursday on what will be Maryland’s largest solar energy plant, has contributed nearly $1 million in the last decade to various lawmakers, candidates and political groups in the state.

Constellation’s contributions to the state’s Democratic Committee alone total a quarter million dollars since 2000 – $180,000 of which was donated in the last election cycle, according to campaign finance reports. The state is planning to buy the energy produced by Constellation’s new solar plant.

The Fortune 500 company, which owns Baltimore Gas and Electric, has been lobbying Maryland officials for years to build a third nuclear power plant at Calvert Cliffs through a joint venture with EDF Group of France. That venture fell through, however, and now the company is battling Maryland leaders over its planned purchase by Chicago company Exelon.

Another major contributor to Maryland officials has been Energy Answers International, a New York company that is planning to build a controversial waste-burning power plant in Baltimore.

In June 2009, the company applied for a license to build the plant. Over the next two years, Energy Answers, Chief Executive Officer Patrick Mahoney and owner

Covanta Energy gave roughly $30,000

to the O’Malley administration and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

O’Malley in October 2010 praised the planned plant as a national model for green energy. Ten days later, the companies heaped $16,000 on him and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown through campaign donations.

Two other companies with interests in the planned plant – Curtis Bay Energy and Old Fairfield LLC – have contributed an additional $20,000 to O’Malley, Brown and Rawlings-Blake.

One of the top campaign contributors in Maryland’s wind energy industry is Synergics Energy Development, which contributed more than $36,000 to Maryland Democrats before receiving state approval to build its farm in Garrett County.

Major utility companies such as Pepco and Allegheny Energy have historically made hefty campaign contributions. But smaller utilities, such as Reliant Energy, also have given money.

Reliant, which recently began selling electricity to Maryland customers, has given roughly $10,000 to state officials over the last two years. The independent Maryland Public Service Commission approved the company’s application for a state retail license in October 2010.

Source:  By: Hayley Peterson, Examiner Staff Writer, washingtonexaminer.com 29 September 2011

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon