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By: Kimberly Armstrong, as told to Calvin Chrisfield

The opinions shared in this piece are those of the speaker and/or the person being featured in the story. They do not necessarily reflect those of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.

Baltimore community leader and Maryland LCV board member Kimberly Armstrong. Image by Kimberly Armstrong

In Baltimore City, environmental justice is a paramount issue. Nearly the entire city is classified as both “overburdened” and “underserved,” and some parts of the city play host to multiple sources of pollution, including trash and litter, air pollution from cars and trucks, and legacy industrial pollution from the city’s several power plants and industrial sites.

In her search for solutions to environmental injustice, Baltimore community leader and Maryland LCV board member Kimberly Armstrong noticed that the city’s most vulnerable communities are underrepresented in environmental spaces, with environmental programs and organizations failing to adequately reach the communities they are meant to serve.

Helping Community Solar Lower Electricity Bills

Compounded with exposure to multiple pollution sources, many low-income Baltimoreans also struggle with monthly healthcare and energy bills. In recent years, Baltimore Gas and Electric’s (BGE’s) electricity rates have skyrocketed, increasing by over 33% since 2020—about twice the inflation rate. These rate hikes have put significant financial strain on Baltimore City residents, many of whom are struggling to keep up.

One option for Marylanders to save on utility bills is the state’s community solar program. Community solar allows residents to enjoy the benefits of solar energy without needing to install any solar panels on their property. These programs allow Maryland residents to subscribe to solar farms in their area, both saving on their electricity bills and reducing the grid’s reliance on fossil fuels. This includes Marylanders who live in apartments or homes poorly suited to solar panels. Maryland’s community solar law is written so that electricity provided by community solar is always less than the standard offer service rates. Residents who participate in the program can save anywhere from 10% to 30% on their electricity bills, helping lessen the burden of rising electricity rates.

Community solar allows residents to purchase clean energy while also lowering their electricity bills. Source: https://environment.umn.edu/events/6-things-we-learned-about-the-power-of-community-solar/

Yet, Kimberly noticed that community solar providers were having trouble connecting with residents in her community.

“One of the reasons developers and customer acquisition organizations have a difficult time connecting with the community is because the communities are an afterthought and not a forethought…I never underestimate the power and voice of the community because I’m one of them!” -Kimberly Armstrong

In response, Kimberly drew upon her decades of outreach experience and strong community connections to found Urban Clean Energy, an outreach consulting organization aimed at helping clean energy providers better connect with the communities they serve.

Kimberly consulted with several community solar providers, including Solar United Neighbors, Generation180,  Neighborhood Sun, and Solar4All—a school-based community solar project in her community. She assisted with educating and engaging residents in the community, improving their customer acquisition techniques to better connect with local residents. This work even included promoting a community solar project in her own neighborhood, helping bring the benefits and savings of solar energy to her friends and neighbors.

Workforce Development Through Offshore Wind

In addition to helping people lower their electricity bills and reducing Maryland’s reliance on fossil fuels, clean energy programs can help bring jobs to the state. However, Kimberly noticed that people of color and marginalized communities are often underrepresented in environmental careers.

In response, in 2023, Kimberly co-founded the Baltimore Green Justice Workers Cooperative (BGJWC), a workforce development organization seeking to help people from marginalized and underserved communities find jobs that promote environmental justice for their communities.

Offshore wind turbines off of the coast of Virginia Beach. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coastal_Virginia_Offshore_Wind_11.jpg

Currently, Maryland has two proposed offshore wind projects: MarWin and Momentum Wind. Together, these projects are anticipated to not only produce 1.7 gigawatts of clean electricity—enough to power 650,000 homes—but also create 13,600 jobs. Seeing this opportunity, Kimberly and BGJWC began to focus their efforts on offshore wind’s job opportunities. While the turbines will ultimately be installed in the ocean off the coast in Ocean City, Maryland, there are job opportunities being created through offshore wind throughout the state, including in Baltimore City.

BGJWC Offshore Wind and Related Industries Pre-Apprenticeship program. Image by Kimberly Armstrong.

In 2024, BGJWC launched its Offshore Wind and Related Industries Pre-Apprenticeship program, a 12-week training program to help people develop the skills needed for a career in offshore wind. Through hands-on classes led by industry experts, BGJWC helped trainees better understand the offshore wind industry and learn important safety skills. Trainees could also gain CPR, first aid, and several Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) certifications, helping them become attractive applicants for offshore wind jobs. Since then, the program has graduated two cohorts of trainees, who have gone on to have careers in areas like construction and nursing.

By: Azucena Fernández, as told to Calvin Chrisfield

The opinions shared in this piece are those of the speaker and/or the person being featured in the story. They do not necessarily reflect those of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.

Prince George’s County has a large Latino community, with 21.2% of the population identifying as Latino or Hispanic, the highest concentration in the state. Much of this population is primarily Spanish-speaking; more than 13% of households reported speaking Spanish at home, more than 31% of which also had limited English proficiency. In some majority-Hispanic/Latino communities like Langley Park and East Riverdale, most residents report speaking a language other than English at home (87.8% and 68.4%, respectively).

Azucena Fernández, a Chispa Maryland community leader. Image by Azucena Fernández

However, according to Chispa Maryland community leader Azucena Fernández, these communities have historically been underrepresented in government and decision-making spaces, especially related to the environment.

This is especially significant because the county is disproportionately impacted by the effects of pollution and climate change. In fact, the vast majority of the county—including the areas with the highest Latino population—is considered to be both “underserved” and “overburdened.” Residents suffer from multiple sources of pollution, including proximity to power plants and other industrial facilities. These environmental burdens accumulate, impacting residents’ health and well-being.

Chispa Maryland was created to support communities like those in Prince George’s County. Established in 2014, the Chispa Maryland program of the Maryland LCV Education Fund works to close health and environmental disparities through community participation, leadership development, and empowering Latino Marylanders in the fight against environmental injustice and climate change. Chispa Maryland connects with Maryland’s Latino residents, offering environmental education and strengthening their capacity to advocate for healthier and more resilient communities.

Azucena Fernández learned about Chispa Maryland in 2024, when her friend recommended that she attend one of their community workshops. Previously, Azucena worked as an agronomist, professor, and in environmental education, teaching youth about nature and the impacts of pollution and climate change. She was searching for a new way to stay involved with environmental issues, and Chispa Maryland was a perfect fit. Azucena joined her local Chispa Maryland committee—a local group where community members meet to learn about environmental issues, develop leadership skills, and work together to protect their communities—where she quickly became a community leader.

Soon, Azucena brought her experience working with youth to Chispa Maryland and helped found the Chispa Maryland Youth Leadership Academy, a program designed to teach Latino Prince George’s County high school students about the environment, environmental justice, and advocacy. Through lessons about cumulative environmental impacts, current county policies, and the relationship between public health and the environment, Azucena and the Chispa Maryland team helped the students develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to actively participate in their communities and advocate for a more sustainable future.

The Academy didn’t just focus on classroom learning; it also created opportunities for students to put into practice what they had learned. Through interactive role-play activities, students acted as legislators, community members, and advocates, developing important skills to perform legislative advocacy. They learned how to be spokespeople for their communities and how to push for policies that protect the environment and public health in the long run.

“Advocacy and legislation are important tools to show environmental issues through the real stories and experiences of the community. For this reason, young leaders were trained to be able to raise their voices and bring their personal experiences in front of decision-makers.” -Chispa Maryland leader Azucena Fernández (Translated from Spanish)

The Academy’s first class of 27 students graduated in  October 2025. Soon after, they began to apply their new advocacy skills. In November 2025, four students and one Chispa Maryland “promotora,” supported by 18 other local committee members and Academy alumni in attendance, testified before the Prince George’s County Board of Education to push for a transition from polluting diesel school buses to cleaner electric buses. Chispa Maryland’s “promotores” are community leaders trained to connect, educate, and support members of their communities, helping them involve themselves in issues that impact their health and environment.

Chispa Maryland Youth Leadership Academy’s graduation ceremony. Image by Chispa Maryland (October 2025).

In February 2026, ten graduates of the Academy joined Azucena and other Chispa Maryland leaders for Maryland League of Conservation Voters’ annual Lobby Day to advocate for the CHERISH Our Communities Act. This legislation sought to change the state permitting process to consider the effects of cumulative environmental impacts (for both the Maryland Department of Environment and the Public Service Commission). The students spoke to state legislators, explaining how their communities suffer from cumulative impacts and how the CHERISH Act would help to protect them.

“Lobby Day brought the community the opportunity to directly express their concerns in front of legislators and ask for their support to promote and pass laws that protect their communities and the environment.” -Chispa Maryland leader Azucena Fernández. Translated from Spanish

Chispa Maryland Youth Leadership Academy graduates and other Chispa Maryland advocates in front of the Maryland State House on Lobby Day. Image by Chispa Maryland (February, 2026).

Unfortunately, despite the passionate advocacy of the students and the pressing need to address cumulative impacts, the CHERISH Act did not pass. However, with the support of Chispa Maryland and Maryland LCV, the students are prepared to continue their advocacy and leadership during the next legislative session, ensuring that the voices of the Latino community are heard.