United for a Sustainable Maryland being formed to promote locally produced Renewable Energy & Community Co-Ops

This non-profit membership group will offer memberships to individuals, farmers, businesses, utilities, charitable organizations, places of worship, and municipalities.

"The organization will promote community-based innovations in the arenas of renewable energy production (electricity and biofuels), sustainable agriculture, organizing creative co-ops, and promoting green building and green renovations," said Tim Richards, one of the founders of the non-profit.

United for a Sustainable Maryland is beginning its operations in Carroll County, Maryland and is addressing the growing need to produce local renewable energy. "With skyrocketing fuel and gas prices and the coming of a cold winter, people have band together to come up with fresh solutions to this challenge," said Rebecca Rush, founding member from Grey Goes Green, Inc.

The new group is organizing a major public forum on renewable energy and electrical co-ops that will take place in Mount Airy, Maryland on Saturday November 17th at Town Hall. "This will be the first of a series of public forums that will help galvanize the public around the ways that renewables can be produced locally and contribute to the reliability of energy distribution," said Tom Williams, another founding member. "With so many new technologies for small applications, there is much for the public to learn about the options and the feasibility of renewable energy."

United for a Sustainable Maryland is planning to take its programs to other towns across the State in 2008.