Maryland Energy Administration

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Local Government Buildings

iStock-458932171.jpg Maryland’s state and local government-owned buildings provide an opportunity to lead by example through the investment of energy efficiency, e​lectrification, and onsite renewable energy. Lowering energy use can help local governments shift funds towards better serving their constituents.​

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. 

The Maryland Clean Buildings Hub (the Hub), an initiative of the Maryland Energy Administration, aims to empower Maryland’s building owners to make well-informed energy investments in their properties by connecting them to financial, educational, and technical assistance. Sign-up for the Hub newsletter here. ​Questions may be directed to [email protected]. 
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​ 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. The Maryland Clean Buildings Hub is committed to help building owners and operators understand the range of incentives for which they may qualify. ​

Maryland Energy Administration:
The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) offers a variety of grant and loan programs for building owners seeking to make upgrades to their facilities.

Jane E. Lawton Loan Program: Low-cost capital financing for projects that result in significant energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions. Funds are provided at below-market rates to Maryland nonprofits and businesses and at zero financing cost to local governments, state agencies and departments.
Local Government Energy Modernization Grant Program: Grant funding to support local governments as they engage in sustainable, long-term clean energy and energy efficient projects that lead to reduced energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, increased cost savings, and robust clean energy and economic development.
Resilient Maryland Program: This program provides funding for local governments to develop and install microgrids, resiliency hubs, and other distributed energy resources (DERs) for critical and community uses.
SolarAPP+ Implementation Grant Program: Provides grants to Maryland Counties and Municipalities, to offset the costs associated with implementing the free-to-use U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory SolarAPP+ solar permitting software for their communities.
Energy Efficiency Equity Grant Program: This program provides funding to Maryland’s Institutions of Higher Education for the adoption of on-site renewable energy technologies, the integration of strategic energy planning into operations and academic curricula, and the advancement of workforce development in the renewable energy sector.
Geothermal Rebate Program: Provides geothermal heating and cooling system (“GHC system”) rebates for Maryland residents on Maryland residential properties. Single-family detached homes and single-family townhomes are eligible. Multi-family properties are not eligible.
Open Energy Grant Program: A competitive program designed to support forward-thinking energy projects that drive greenhouse gas reductions, equity in energy projects, and energy affordability.
Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant Program: Federally-funded competitive program, with regional allocations for energy efficiency projects.

​Other State Programs:
Check out other State programs that help support commercial building decarbonization projects.

Sustainable Maryland Action Grants Program: Strongly encourages applications from municipalities across the state that seek to protect their natural assets, reduce their carbon footprint, and revitalize and improve the long-term quality of life for current and future generations.
Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPCs): Upfront financing for energy efficiency projects that can be repaid over time (typically 15-20 years) by the cost savings resulting from building upgrades. ​
Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE): MCEC administers the State of Maryland's C-PACE program, which is a means of financing energy and/or water efficiency, renewable energy, resiliency, or environmental remediation measures in commercial buildings with no up-front cost.
Maryland Clean Energy Capital (MCAP): MCEC’s MCAP program offers clean energy and efficiency financing for large projects undertaken by local governments, institutions, and nonprofits.
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Federal Programs:
Explore federal programs that are available to help support the implementation of building decarbonization upgrades at commercial buildings. 
179D Energy Efficient Buildings Tax Deduction: New and existing commercial and multifamily buildings that demonstrate a 25% to 50% improvement from their pre-retrofit baseline EUI may be able to claim a tax deduction.
Commercial & Canopy Solar Grant Program: This program provides funding for solar PV systems that will be owned by or directly benefit (1) low-to-moderate income communities located in a census tract with an average median income at or below 80% of the average median income for the State, or (2) overburdened or underserved communities.
Sec. 48E Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit: The credit is available to taxpayers with a qualified facility and energy storage technology placed in service after Dec. 31, 2024. The Clean Electricity Investment Credit phase-out starts for the later of 2032 or when U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from electricity are 25% of 2022 emissions or lower.
HUD Choice Neighborhoods Program: Supports locally driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods with distressed HUD housing through a comprehensive approach.

​Utility​ Programs:
EmPOWER Maryland​: Ratepayers located in the following service territories may be eligible to receive incentives for energy efficiency and electrification measures through their utility. Participating utilities are: 

Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE): EmPOWER Maryland Incentives
Potomac Edison Company (PE): EmPOWER Maryland Incentives
Delmarva Power & Light (Delmarva): EmPOWER Maryland Incentives
Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO): EmPOWER Maryland Incentives
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SMECO): EmPOWER Maryland Incentives
Washington Gas Light Company (WGL): EmPOWER Maryland Incentives

​ Technical Assistance ​

Looking for technical assistance for your local government building upgrades? The Hub​ offers guidance and support to help Marylanders take the next step toward cleaner, more efficient energy solutions.​​

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: 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.
Montgomery County Benchmarking Ambassadors: 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.
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.
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) 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.
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​​Building Decarbonization Resources

The Hub​ invites you to explore the materials below to help guide your next steps. Use these resources to help move your local government's building decarbonization project forward with greater confidence. Suggestions for additional resources can be directed to [email protected].​​

Benchmarking: Energy benchmarking is the process of tracking a building's annual energy use and using a standard metric to compare the building's performance against past performance and to similar building types. Benchmarking improves understanding of energy consumption patterns; helps identify energy saving opportunities within a portfolio of buildings; and manages business bottom line through consistent data collection and tracking.
Energy Audits: Conducting an energy audit is a recommended first step in a building’s electrification and decarbonization journey.
ENERGY STAR Tax Credit and Rebate Finder Tool: This tool helps building owners find incentives for efficient appliances, such as heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, insulation, windows, and electric upgrades.
Better Buildings Initiative: Local Government: The Department of Energy's Better Buildings Initiative helps local governments identify cost-effective energy and water efficiency solutions by barrier, building type, technology, and more.
Maryland Green Building Council: The Council is composed of private sector and State agency membership. It makes recommendations regarding implementation of the High-Performance Building Program to the Department of General Services, the Maryland Governor and General Assembly.
Case Study: Department of General Services Review this case study spotlighting Maryland DGS' long-term decarbonization strategy for their expansive building portfolio.​
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Maryland Energy Administration
1800 Washington Blvd.
Suite 425, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 537-4000 | 1-800-72-ENERGY