Two events played out Monday night with national spotlights.

First, the University of Virginia won its first national NCAA basketball title in overtime. It was a tribute to the determination and strength of character of the basketball team that they overcame enormous obstacles to win the title, and we are impressed by their accomplishments.

Secondly, a local win took place in the Maryland General Assembly on the final night of its 90-day session. On the same day UVA was cutting down the nets in Minneapolis, the Maryland House and Senate passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), following an active debate. It’s an enormous win for clean energy in the state and is a tribute to progress and forward business growth statewide.

CEJA attracted and continues to attract a lot of attention from across the spectrum of stakeholders. This may seem surprising at first: Why so many would be so interested in a clean energy bill? Yet as you sit back and take a look at the bill, it really isn’t so surprising at all.

The goals of this bill are far reaching and have numerous opportunities for Marylanders across the state to participate in various aspects of the bill. It offers participation for homeowners, renters, land owners, municipalities, technology enthusiasts, teachers, job seekers, career development, business owners and demonstrates leadership for other states. Thanks to its broad mandate and its wide-ranging positive effects, Marylanders are engaged with this issue like never before and are ready to support Governor Larry Hogan’s signature approval.

Standard Solar thanks the General Assembly for its approval, and we are ready to be part of expanding the value of solar in Maryland with our customers and the industry. The solar component represents only a portion of the overall bill but offers significant growth capacity. We appreciate and understand that this comes with significant industry performance responsibility. Our industry is prepared to deliver and achieve the goals set out in the bill.