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The Hogan administration on Friday endorsed the House version of a climate bill that is working its way through the General Assembly 鈥� but the ultimate fate of the legislation remains unclear due to differences between the House and Senate on some of the measure鈥檚 key provisions.

Maryland Secretary of the Environment Ben Grumbles wrote to House Environment and Transportation Committee Chairman Kumar P. Barve (D-Montgomery) Friday embracing the House version of the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2021, which he said provided 鈥渂ipartisan, aggressive, and achievable solutions to the climate crisis.鈥�

In the message, obtained by聽Maryland Matters, Grumbles said the legislation that鈥檚 moving through the House aligns with many of the recommendations outlined in the administration鈥檚聽聽released earlier this year.

鈥淏y elevating the plan to enforceable law with urgent requirements and visionary goals we would demonstrate that Maryland continues to be a national leader with real and achievable commitments to dramatically reduce greenhouse gases and increase climate resiliency and environmental justice,鈥� Grumbles wrote.

House leaders saw the administration鈥檚 endorsement as giving momentum to their version of the bill, which they described as a realistic but robust measure to combat climate change in Maryland.

Earlier this week, Barve鈥檚 committee took the Senate version of the bill, and聽. Specifically, the panel changed a measure calling for a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2006 levels to a 50% reduction. The House also reduced certain green building requirements and changed some of the funding streams required to achieve the carbon emissions reductions.

Both versions seek to eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions in the state by 2045.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to write a superior bill that can actually pass without the science fiction 60%鈥� greenhouse gas reduction levels, Barve said in an interview Friday.

Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee Chairman Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince George鈥檚), the lead sponsor of the Senate measure, scoffed at the news that Grumbles had embraced the bill as amended by the House.

鈥淲hat a shock,鈥� he said sarcastically during an interview Friday evening. 鈥淭he House adopted all the Republican amendments without the Republicans ever having to bring them up on the floor. They put in everything that the building industry and [the Maryland Department of the Environment] wanted.鈥�

Pinsky also questioned how serious House leaders are about passing a climate bill, noting that the House Economic Matters Committee was scheduled to take up the measure on Friday but then didn鈥檛 have a vote. The bill cannot hit the House floor without the Economic Matters panel voting on it.

鈥淚t seems like they might be trying to slow-walk the bill,鈥� Pinsky said.

Barve predicted such 鈥渢eeth-gnashing鈥� would be coming as his committee formally attached its amendments to the Senate bill on Thursday.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not the end of the story,鈥� he told his colleagues. 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth on this bill between now and Sine Die.鈥�

Environmentalists generally prefer the bill that passed out of the Senate and are expressing hope that House members can be convinced to restore some of the legislation鈥檚 more aggressive provisions in the 10 days before the end of the General Assembly session.