Maryland Matters Article on AIM’s Clean Energy Campaign

An AIM leader at Northwest Park Apartments conducts air quality testing, showing unhealthy levels of nitrogen dioxide emitted from a gas stove. Photo by Christine Condon, Maryland Matters

AIM tenant leaders and our campaign for healthy homes and clean, affordable energy were showcased in Maryland Matters on July 28th!

Read the article in Spanish here.

Over the past year, our climate equity team has been advocating for a pilot networked geothermal project at Northwest Park Apartments that would improve residents’ health by transitioning off of unhealthy gas appliances. Tenant leaders have tested hundreds of neighbors’ homes and found that over 50% have unhealthy levels of nitrogen dioxide gas, a pollutant from gas-burning stoves.

This campaign has been years in the making, and was built on our strong tenant work and the relationship we have built with Kay Management over 10+ years. 

Over 40 AIM leaders attended the Public Service Commission (PSC) hearing on the project last September, testifying in Spanish, French and English about the need for community-level clean energy solutions like this one. PSC members expressed that our diverse engagement was unprecedented and left a strong impression on them.

The PSC decided in December that the original project proposal was too expensive, but they agreed to hire a consultant who would work with the utilities to bring down the cost of the project.

Six months later, after hearing no movement, AIM’s tenant leaders organized over 100 Northwest Park residents to send a letter to the PSC asking them to move forward on their commitment to hire the consultant and make the project a reality.

Congratulations to our tenant leaders, climate equity team, and partner organizations for their outstanding work to make sure everyone, whether they are a renter or homeowner, can breathe clean air in their homes!