Originally posted by Maryland Matters. In an average year, Maryland’s 24 school districts perform renovation or major maintenance on more than 200 of the state’s 1,400 public pre-K-12 school buildings, according to Alex Donahue, deputy director for field operations for the Maryland Interagency Commission on School Construction, which directs state construction funds to each local school district. “Green construction is a state priority,” Donahue said. “State law requires that every new school facility and full renovation be a high-performance building and meet stringent state and international building codes. I don’t think many states have adopted tougher measures.”

Early in this year’s legislative session, Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince George’s), chair of the Senate’s Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, introduced the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. Sponsored by a majority of Maryland senators, the bill calls for a 60% reduction in greenhouse emissions from 2006 levels by 2030, and net zero carbon emissions by 2045.

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