2022 SPEAKER SERIES

Carbon Reduction Strategies and the
Potential for Net Zero Emission Credits

With a focus on decarbonizing the grid, this panel will focus on the pros and cons of adopting policy to incentivize energy generation with net zero emissions as a means to achieve climate related goals. Guest speakers will share strategies being used in other states and discuss considerations for some of the social and economic benefits connected to carbon reductions for Maryland.

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ADDITIONAL REPORTS & RESOURCES

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Maryland: A Progress Report (Sept 2022)

Power Infrastructure Needs for Economywide Decarbonization

MODERATOR

Sen. Brian J. Feldman

MD District 15,
Vice Chair, Senate Finance Committee

Senator Brian J. Feldman

MD District 15

Vice Chair, Senate Finance Committee

Maryland State Senator Brian J. Feldman, both an Attorney and a CPA, is the Vice Chair of the prestigious Senate Finance Committee and chairs its Energy and Public Utilities Subcommittee. In 2019, Brian was the lead sponsor of the landmark Maryland Clean Energy Jobs Act.

Additionally, Brian is the Senate Chair of the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission and serves as a member of the Executive Nominations Committee and the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics. He is also a member of the Maryland Economic Development Commission.

Nationally, as a member of the National Conferences of State Legislators, he serves on two task forces – the Executive Committee Task Force on State and Local Taxation and the Task Force on Energy Supply.

Numerous honors and awards have been conferred on Senator Feldman for his work in the Maryland legislature on clean energy. This year, he was recognized by the Community for Solar Access as a “Legislative Champion” and by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network as a “Climate Champion”.

Currently, Brian sits on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Senator Feldman and his wife, Janice, have two children who graduated from Montgomery County public schools.

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PANELISTS

Chris Hoagland

Director of Air & Radiation Administration,
Maryland Department of the Environment

Chris Hoagland

Director of Air & Radiation Administration
Maryland Department of the Environment

Chris Hoagland is the Director of the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Air and Radiation Administration. He is responsible for the implementation and management of Maryland’s air pollution and radiation protection programs, including air quality planning and monitoring, regulation development, mobile source control, climate change, air permitting, radioactive materials licensing, radiation machine registration and certification, and inspection/enforcement programs. Prior to taking over as the Air Director, Mr. Hoagland managed MDE's Climate Change Program, which coordinates Maryland’s climate change planning and analysis, supports the independent Maryland Commission on Climate Change, and manages Maryland greenhouse gas regulations, including the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Mr. Hoagland has also served in climate change policy roles at the Federal level at the U.S. General Services Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. He has master's degrees in Forestry and Environmental Management from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and a bachelor's degree in History from St. Mary's College of Maryland.

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Marie Rinkoski

Sr. Manager, Clean Energy Policy,
Constellation Energy

Marie Rinkoski

Sr Manager, Clean Energy Policy
Constellation Energy

Marie Rinkoski serves as Senior Manager for Clean Energy Policy at Constellation, focusing on the intersection of modelling, analysis, and clean energy policy by leading modelling efforts in support of policy and market development at the federal, state, and ISO. She has over 15 years’ experience in the electric sector, holding prior positions as the market fundamentals regional specialist for WECC, ERCOT, and then PJM. Prior to joining Constellation, Marie spent five years at the U.S. Energy Information Administration immersed in electric power sector industry data and analysis. She earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in physics from Oberlin and Cornell, respectively.

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Doug Vine

Director of Energy Analysis,
C2ES

Doug Vine

Director of Energy Analysis
C2ES

Doug Vine is the Director of Energy Analysis at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). He leads the center’s work on energy decarbonization policies and technology analysis, following trends in global and domestic energy production and utilization and their impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, he focuses on topical energy issues, including clean energy, electric power, natural gas, and oil market developments. Mr. Vine has authored numerous reports and briefs on natural gas, preserving existing nuclear power, the North American electricity grid, microgrids, and clean energy standards. Mr. Vine is currently researching pathways toward decarbonizing power and industrial sector emissions, including widespread electrification and the use of low-carbon fuels like hydrogen. Mr. Vine previously worked at Meridian Energy, New Zealand’s largest electricity generator, where he advised on optimizing the utility’s hydropower portfolio. He also worked for Genscape and Thomson Reuters Point Carbon, where he focused on price forecasting in U.S. regional electricity markets. Mr. Vine holds an M.B.A from the Victoria University of Wellington. He also holds a Master of Science in systems engineering from Virginia Tech and Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland.

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2022 SPEAKER SERIES

Carbon Reduction Strategies and the
Potential for Net Zero Emission Credits