Fiscal Year 2027
Program Purpose: The Maryland Energy Administration is pleased to announce the Energy Chalenge Prize program to award competitive grants to whichever entities propose the most promising and innovative solutions to address a specific problem.
The specific problem statement for FY27 is: Maryland has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in distributed energy resources (e.g. solar, battery storage, EVs, water heaters, etc.) but most of these assets cannot currently be coordinated to improve grid reliability, reduce electricity costs, or support emergency resilience because of technical, communications, interoperability, market participation, and customer engagement barriers.
Program Type: Competitive Challenge Prize
This grant program is offered statewide on a competitive basis for eligible applications through a two-stage application process:
- Stage 1: The applicant submits a preliminary application, including a brief concept paper, as detailed in Section 13 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). MEA notifies the applicant if the application is approved to proceed to Stage 2.
- Stage 2: If MEA approves the application to proceed to Stage 2, the applicant submits a detailed proposal and additional supporting documentation, as detailed in Section 14 of the FOA.
Target Audience: Open (e.g. businesses, nonprofits, local governments, certain higher education institutions, and others)
Funding Opportunity Announcement Issue Date: September 29, 2026
Application Deadline:
- Stage 1: 3:00 PM Eastern Time December 02, 2026
- Stage 2: 3:00 PM Eastern Time February 10, 2027
Notification of Grant Award or Non-Award: Spring 2027
Online Application Portal Status: Closed to new applications
Program Budget: MEA anticipates up to $2,000,000 will be available from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (“SEIF”) for grants awarded under this Program. The total amount awarded may be more or less, depending on the funding sources, the amount available and restrictions on each funding source, and the number and quality of applications received.
Program Documents: Coming Soon
Program Contacts
- FY27 Applicants and Other Stakeholders: For questions regarding the FY27 Energy Challenge Prize, contact MEA at [email protected] or by phone at (443) 714-7999.
- FY22-FY26 Grantees of the Program formerly known as the Open Energy Program: Resources for grantees are available on the Open Energy Program Webpage. For questions regarding a Grant Agreement, Grant Reporting, Invoicing, Extension Request, Close Out, Ribbon Cutting, or other inquiries, contact MEA at [email protected] or by phone at (443) 306- 8149.
