In Maryland, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced an Executive Order on Oct. 21 requiring all new and replacement passenger vehicles for the county’s fleet to be hybrid or electric vehicles.

“We recognize our obligation to a cleaner, greener and more sustainable Baltimore County for this and future generations, which is why I’m committed to ensuring Baltimore County remains a statewide sustainability leader,” Olszewski said. “In setting this new goal, Baltimore County will lead by example and increase the number electric vehicles on our roads and support long-term efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and combat climate change.”

Baltimore County has completed a Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Action Plan to guide the county’s efforts to reduce emissions and fossil fuel consumption across three broad categories of county operations: Buildings and Energy, Transportation, and Waste.

According to these analyses, the county’s on-road fleet of vehicles and equipment represent roughly 20% of the enterprise-wide greenhouse gas emissions.

Under Olszewski’s Executive Order, Baltimore County will:

• Convert at least 10% of the county government’s passenger fleet to electric vehicles by 2030;

• Install the charging infrastructure necessary to support these vehicles; and

• Replace remaining passenger vehicles with fuel-efficient hybrid models.