Baltimore County is ready to #GoElectric!

Maryland PIRG, as part of a grassroots coalition of faith, education, public health, and environmental advocates, joined Baltimore County Councilman Izzy Patoka and State Sen. Ben Brooks to launch a campaign to begin the transition to clean, affordable, and efficient electricity to power our homes and buildings.

Highly efficient, pollution-free homes can save residents money while delivering cleaner air and increasing resilience in the face of increased exposure to natural disasters driven by climate change.  Maryland residents can soon take advantage of  rebates from the Inflation Reduction Act to install all-electric home heating and appliances. 

For example, the widespread adoption of heat pumps can offer affordable, life-saving cooling and protect residents from harmful outdoor air pollution driven by wildfire smoke by filtering outdoor air. Because heat pumps are three times more efficient than traditional gas furnaces, residents can also save on their monthly energy bills.

Transitioning Baltimore County to all-electric new homes can also deliver cleaner air by eliminating a major source of indoor and outdoor air pollution that is attributed to 12.7% of childhood asthma nationwide when combusted indoors. Baltimore County has among the worst outdoor air quality in the state, receiving an “F” for ozone pollution from the American Lung Association.