Paul Pinsky ’68 Appointed Director of Maryland Energy Administration

Paul Pinsky was appointed by Governor Wes Moore to be the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration and he took office on January 18.

Prior to his appointment as director, he was elected to the Maryland State Senate seven times. As a senator, he chaired the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. He has also served on the Maryland Commision on Climate Change since its inception.

Paul has been a long-time champion in the fight to address climate change and clean up the Chesapeake Bay. He is the principal author of dozens of environmental laws that have helped shape most major state environmental policies in Maryland over the  last two decades.

As senator, he sponsored the landmark Climate Solutions Now legislation, passed in 2022, which requires Maryland to slash emissions 60% by 2031 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2045. He was also the lead sponsor of: the watershed 2006 Healthy Air Act which included mandating Maryland’s membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI); legislation codifying the Climate Commission; and the 2009 and 2016 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Acts. He also co-sponsored the Clean Energy Jobs Act to require Maryland to obtain at least 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

Paul served on the Commission on Innovation & Excellence in Education (the Kirwan Commission) and was a major architect of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future which aims to transform Maryland’s education system.

He is also a longtime advocate for social, economic, and environmental justice.

Paul worked in the education field for over 40 years, teaching high school history, advocating for teachers and their working conditions, and consulting and developing policy focused on improving teacher quality.

Article and photo courtesy of the Maryland Energy Administration.

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