Agricultural Buildings

Investing in energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy can help Maryland’s agricultural communities and businesses reduce their operating costs - and therefore increase profits.

Incentives

Maryland’s agricultural building owners and operators can tap into a range of state, federal, utility, and local incentives to help defray the costs of energy efficiency, electrification, or onsite renewable energy measures to existing or new buildings. 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

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Energy for America Program (REAP): This program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems, including geothermal.
Rural Energy for America Program Energy Audit & Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants: This program assists rural small businesses and agricultural producers by conducting and promoting energy audits and providing Renewable Energy Development Assistance (REDA).
Rural Energy Pilot Program (REPP): This program offers financial assistance for rural communities to further develop renewable energy.
Sec. 179D Energy Efficient Buildings Tax Deduction
Sec. 48E Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit
Sec. 45Y Clean Electricity Production Tax Credit

Utility

Potomac Edison Agricultural Incentives

Technical Assistance

REAP Grant Support: The Maryland Clean Energy Center provides free help with REAP grant applications.
REPP grants: REPP grants can be used for technical assistance
On-Farm Energy Initiative: The On-Farm Energy Initiative helps farmers and ranchers make voluntary improvements that can boost energy efficiency on the farm. Financial assistance is available to inventory and analyze farm systems that use energy and identify opportunities to improve efficiency through the development of an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (AgEMP).
Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC) Procurement & Technical Assistance: MCEC provides procurement and technical assistance services for clean energy and decarbonization projects.

Resources

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 homeowners find financial incentives for efficient appliances, such as heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, insulation, windows, and electric upgrades.
Better Buildings Initiative: The Department of Energy's Better Buildings Initiative helps commercial and industrial buildings identify cost-effective energy and water efficiency solutions by barrier, building type, sector, technology, and more.
Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO): MARBIDCO provides Maryland agricultural and rural businesses with the supplemental resources they need to start and grow their enterprises. This includes assisting qualifying businesses in securing affordable capital and credit for equipment, commercial facilities, and real estate purchases.

Agricultural Buildings

Incentives

Technical Assistance

Resources​

Resources