Can state climate plans survive Trump? Maryland may have an answer.

By Adam Aton | 01/23/2025 06:35 AM EST

Gov. Wes Moore has set an aggressive clean energy goal. But he faces a budget crunch and a new White House hostile to climate action.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) speaks at an Oct. 18, 2024, campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore entered office with big plans to enact some of the country’s strongest climate laws.

Two years later, those lofty ambitions have run into hard reality. His state is struggling to pay its bills and keep on the lights. And the new Trump administration has made clear it intends to stop the flow of federal funds for climate action.

How Moore handles the turbulence could be instructive. Moore is a rising star in the Democratic Party, and if he’s able to defend his climate goals, it could boost his standing on the national stage and prove the viability of aggressive climate action — even in the current political environment.

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If he can’t, it may be another sign that support for climate policy is in retreat.

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