W.R. Grace & Co. reported Thursday that its first quarter earnings rose 4.5 percent despite falling oil prices and the strengthening on the U.S. dollar.

The Howard County Public School System on Wednesday was named a U.S Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools District Sustainability award winner.

Senate's mishandling of attorney general nominee finally comes to an end

The Carroll County Board of Commissioners seems to be leaning toward continuing as a member of the Clean Chesapeake Coalition, despite other members leaving the group and the possibility of increased membership dues beyond $25,000 annually.

A Harford County Council member earlier this week leveled a blast at a proposed amendment to the county building code that would exempt from some permitting requirements agricultural buildings of 1,500 square feet or less that are used for public assembly.

From wind to biogas, Maryland's Eastern Shore can be a green energy leader — if the terms are right

The ramifications, however, are very large. If sunlight can replace coal, oil or even the newly bargain-priced natural gas, the prospects for clean, cheap energy for generations to come bode well for not only government finance but also the advance of civilization as a whole.

A Pepco Holdings merger with Exelon is a good deal and is in the best interest of residents of the state of Maryland. It has the potential to make Maryland a national leader in the development of microgrids, energy efficiency, distributed energy — including renewables — and other technology that will be the backbone of the grid of the future and a strong incentive for businesses to locate here.

Larry Hogan should be the first in line opposing offshore drilling the endangers Maryland's coastline and the Chesapeake Bay

Baltimore's business and political leaders set shining example on solar power

Lawmakers should support effort to make state less dependent on harmful fossil fuels

Important legislation is now pending in the Maryland General Assembly that would establish new goals for renewable energy. The legislation would increase our Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), or the percentage of Maryland's energy that comes from renewable sources, from the current standard of 20 percent by 2022 to 25 percent by 2020, and would encourage further increases by 2025.

A state-run venture capital program has invested $500,000 in Blue Pillar, an energy management system firm that is moving its headquarters from Indianapolis to Frederick.

Attorney General Frosh raises important questions about whether the combined company would wield too much influence over regional energy policy.

Dozens of volunteers, neighbors and supporters were on hand Saturday afternoon to formally dedicate four new homes in Baltimore's Woodbourne-McCabe neighborhood, built where vacant properties once stood.

Despite the dire warnings sounded about the financial health of Havre de Grace's water and sewer funds in recent years, Mayor Wayne Dougherty told members of the City Council Monday that he expects enough money to come in from capital cost recovery fees during the next 20 years to cover tens of millions of dollars in projected debt and infrastructure costs and potentially lower the recovery fee.

Carroll County might soon gain the supplementary power of solar panels in an attempt to cut spending.

Raising the speed limit to 70 is a bad idea

Maryland is one of America's leaders on solar energy.

Havre de Grace's water and sewer fund remains in financial trouble as city officials and Water and Sewer Commission members look for ways to raise enough revenue to operate the municipal utilities and pay down a $27 million debt incurred to expand the wastewater treatment plant.

By artificially keeping oil prices low, the Saudis get to deal a powerful blow to the energy revolution in the U.S. In exchange, Mr. Obama gets an unearned political windfall and can claim vindication for his ineffectual economic policies.

Most homeowners are familiar with easy remedies to keep the howling winds of February and March from leaking through compromised doors and windows. So why are we still bundled up and blasting the heat? Christopher Walls, residential manager of energy efficiency programs at BGE, points out a few lesser-known drafty places in the home that could be the culprits behind mysteriously high energy bills.

Md. bucks national trend toward solar energy

President Obama has a particular weakness for the logical fallacy known as the argument from authority, says Jonah Goldberg.

Obama as environmentalist

Saudis are keeping oil prices low to undercut U.S. and Canadian oil producers, writes David Horsey.

Environmental activists and their allies are urging Maryland lawmakers to double the state's current requirement to get 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2022. But Gov.-elect Larry Hogan and even some sympathetic legislators seem likely to oppose it.

The agenda for Hogan and the legislature should be a cautious one in 2015.

One thing's certain about the Maryland General Assembly session that opens Wednesday: it will be dominated by a budget fight. Otherwise, the 435th session of the legislature is unpredictable.

Falling gasoline prices gives the U.S. a golden opportunity to address failing transportation infrastructure

Havre de Grace officials are developing an ordinance to spur home building in the Greenway Farms subdivision with reduced water and sewer connection fees, an incentive that does not sit well with the residents of the neighboring Bulle Rock community who expressed their concerns during a City Council meeting Monday.

New rules needed to protect Eastern Shore waterways

Baltimore should be cautious about spending $500,000 on water system advice

America's energy renaissance, driven by the shale energy boom, hasn't just strengthened our domestic economy, it has shifted the global energy market's balance of power in America's favor, and OPEC is struggling to react to this new reality.

A Maryland Public Service Commission judge approved Thursday a settlement agreement that would increase rates for residential Baltimore Gas and Electric customers for the fourth time in four years.