Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced the launch of a new funding opportunity to accelerate clean energy planning and deployment.
The Local Government Energy Modernization Program will provide $64 million to the state’s towns, cities, and counties, to be used for modernizing infrastructure and advancing Maryland’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions.
The program will help the state transition from outdated and inefficient systems to smarter, cleaner energy infrastructure.
The one-time funding will be used to deploy community-scale clean energy projects, which are expected to reduce government energy bills, shave peak demand, and improve grid reliability. It will also lower long-term supply and infrastructure costs that have been historically passed onto consumers.
“It isn’t enough to ask Marylanders to see themselves in the consequences of the climate crisis; they need to see themselves in the progress,” said Governor Moore, in a statement. “Investments in climate action drive new infrastructure projects, support our work modernizing the grid, and strengthen our pledge to act as disciplined stewards of the taxpayer dime. That is what today’s announcement is all about.”
The Maryland Energy Administration is accepting applications for the program through Friday, December 5.
Read more here.