By Brian Shane

Staff Writer

Lower Shore legislator Del. Wayne Hartman (R-38C) is proposing that emergency shelter buildings be exempt from a state mandate requiring large public buildings to switch from fossil fuels to electric power.

Hartman raised concerned that, during a weather emergency or prolonged power outage, reliance on electric power instead of gas or oil power could be risky and problematic.

“It is imperative that any building used for public safety purposes designated as an emergency storm shelter (or) provides public utilities is capable of being resilient during an emergency,” he said during a March 5 bill hearing in Annapolis.

Hartman noted how thousands of people in North Carolina went without power for two weeks in October following Hurricane Helene, and how Hurricane Sandy in 2012 knocked out power for more than a week for some Marylanders.

“Think about some utility generating – water, sewage, that kind of stuff. They need to have the ability to go on in the event of a prolonged weather event,” he said.

Hartman’s bill, House Bill 1414, responds to the Climate Energy Solutions Now Act of 2022. The law requires buildings over 35,000 square feet to comply with Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) by 2040, aiming for a 60% reduction in green house gas emission.

This would require many of Worcester County’s largest buildings – including many government facilities, as well as Ocean City hotels and high-rise condos – to take their old boilers or furnaces offline and convert to electrical power.

Critics argue that retrofitting buildings to meet BEPS will be costly and time-consuming, and that the specialized equipment required to convert to electrical isn’t easily available off-the-shelf.

While the 2022 law exempts certain buildings – including certain historic properties, K-12 schools, manufacturing facilities, agriculture buildings, or federal properties – it does not offer exceptions for state of local government buildings.

Hartman’s bill would change that, proposing an exemption for public safety and public utility buildings, as well as public buildings that have been designated as storm shelters in case of emergency. This would mean buildings Ocean City’s convention center and 65th Street public safety headquarters would not be required to fully electrify.

Hartman also pointed out that some of these facilities already have infrastructure capable of producing their own heat and power during outages. He argued that keeping this equipment operational beyond the BEPS deadline could prove a cost-saving measure for public safety facilities.

Hartman’s House bill was cross-filed with Senate Bill 470, sponsored by Sen. Jason Gallion (D35-Harford), which was heard Feb. 27 in the Senate Education, Energy, and Environment Committee. This Senate bill is also co-sponsored by Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (D38-Worcester).