Maryland Energy Administration

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Public Buildings

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Maryland’s State- and local government-owned buildings provide an opportunity to “lead by example” through the investment of energy efficiency, electrification, and onsite renewable energy. Lowering energy use can help local governments shift funds towards better serving their constituents.

On May 17th, 2023, Governor Wes Moore signed an executive order (EO) that doubled Maryland's energy conservation goal for state-owned buildings from a 10% decrease by 2029 to a 20% decrease by 2031. The EO also requires the Maryland Green Building Council to update the Maryland High-Performance Green Building Program to ensure that all new buildings and major renovations align with the state's goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.

Moreover, many public buildings may be subject to Maryland’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS), which covers buildings 35,000 square feet and larger. Owners ​of covered buildings under the regulation are required to annually report their energy use and emissions. To learn more about BEPS, visit MDE’s page​.

Incentives 


Maryland’s local governments can tap into a range of state, federal, and utility incentives to help defray the costs of energy efficiency, electrification, or onsite renewable energy measures to existing or new buildings. And, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 gives tax-exempt entities, like local governments, equal access to clean energy incentives by introducing the direct pay (also known as elective pay) option. This allows qualifying tax-exempt entities to receive a direct payment from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in lieu of a tax credit.

The Maryland Energy Administration is committed to help building owners or operators understand the range of incentives that they may be eligible to receive. Questions may be directed to building.decarbonization@maryland.gov.  

State
Federal
Utility

Technical Assistance ​


  • Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC) Procurement & Technical Assistance​: MCEC provides procurement and technical assistance services for clean energy and decarbonization projects. 
  • Montgomery County Green Bank Technical Assistance Program (Buildings located in Montgomery County ONLY): The Montgomery County Green Bank supports studies for commercial sector owners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including ASHRAE Level I, Level II, Level III/ Investment Grade audits and/or targeted analyses into benchmarking, energy efficiency, renewable energy (e.g., solar PV), electrification, EV charging infrastructure, and resiliency measures. Eligible property types include but are not limited to office, industrial, retail, hospitality, common ownership communities, multifamily rental (market rate and affordable), and nonprofit-owned properties such as faith-based and educational institutions. 
  • Montgomery County Benchmarking Ambassadors (Buildings located in Montgomery County ONLY): Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection curates this list of stakeholders, volunteers, and energy service companies who have received an orientation to the County’s Benchmarking Law on how to properly benchmark in Portfolio Manager. Please note that inclusion in this list does not confer certification, an official endorsement, or approval from the Montgomery County Government or any of its agencies.
  • Building energy performance standards (BEPS) Cohort for Local Governments: From 2024-2025, ClearlyEnergy and the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) are helping prepare Maryland’s county and municipal governments for building energy performance standard compliance. The cohort will offer educational trainings, technical assistance, and opportunities for peer knowledge sharing. Interested governments may sign up here.  
  • Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) Decarbonization Planning Task Order: DGS has selected three engineering firms to assist local governments and nonprofits with decarbonization and BEPS compliance planning. Eligible entities benefit from an expedited procurement process by pursuing a work order for the firms’ services via DGS. Those interested in learning more should contact David St. Jean, DGS Director of the Office of Energy & Sustainability. 
  • Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Program Local Government Climate Action Support Program: Counties outside of certain Metropolitan Statistical Areas are eligible for climate action planning support from the Maryland Department of the Environment.
  • Clean Energy to Communities (C2C Program): The C2C Program provides communities with expertise and tools to achieve their clean energy goals through in-depth partnerships, peer-learning cohorts, and expert matching.
  • Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) Technical Assistance: GHHI provides a variety of technical assistance services to clients, such as community-based organizations; state, county, and city governments; and healthcare providers and payers. Offerings include programmatic capacity building; innovative financing; coordinated delivery of housing, health, and energy services; and healthy housing policy.
  • ESPC Campaign: The U.S. Department of Energy’s ESPC Campaign engages public sector building owners and other market stakeholders in technical assistance and peer-to-peer learning opportunities to expand the use of ESPCs as a building decarbonization tool. 
  • Sustainable Maryland​: Sustainable Maryland is a certification program for municipalities in Maryland that want to go green, save money and take steps to sustain their quality of life over the long term. Sustainable Maryland is a collaborative effort between the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at the University of Maryland and the Maryland Municipal League.  
  • World Resources Institute Local and State Clean Energy Programs: WRI provides technical assistance and support at the state, local and tribal level to help public agencies and communities in the U.S. advance their clean energy and equity goals. 
  • National League of Cities Climate Change Resilience Technical Assistance: NLC provides technical assistance and capacity-building through project-based work with member cities on resilient municipal infrastructure planning, policy and funding. 

​ Resources


Maryland Energy Administration
1800 Washington Blvd.
Suite 755, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 537-4000 | 1-800-72-ENERGY