Wired for Change: VA & MD Talk Energy Futures

In this special crossover episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Dominic Butchko of the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) teams up with Joe Lerch of the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) to explore how Maryland and Virginia are tackling the complex challenges of clean energy policy at the local level. Together, they unpack the parallels and contrasts between Maryland’s Climate Solutions Now Act and Virginia’s Clean Economy Act, digging into why Maryland is lagging in solar deployment despite ambitious targets, and how transmission grid bottlenecks across the PJM network are slowing down renewable energy progress on both sides of the Potomac. If you care about infrastructure, local control, and the path to clean energy, this episode is for you!More Information:Maryland’s Pivotal 2025 Actions on Solar Energy PolicyUVA Weldon Cooper - Solar DatabasePJM Regional Transmission Organization (RTO)Maryland Piedmont Reliability ProjectCommonwealth Fusion Systems - Chesterfield County ProjectFollow us on Socials!MACo on TwitterMACo on Facebook