Did You Know? DGS Leads the State’s Energy Conservation Efforts

Committee members represent their agencies’ secretaries. Secretary Churchill (2nd from right) participated in today’s meeting.

General Services leads the state’s energy conservation efforts. The Office of Energy and Conservation is responsible for a variety of strategies to reduce the impact of government operations on the environment.

The Green Purchasing Committee (GPC), chaired by Secretary Churchill,  is just one example. It is an interagency committee created by the Green Maryland Act of 2010 and tasked with providing the State with promoting environmentally preferable purchasing through education and training. The Committee meets bi-monthly to develop and discuss implementation of statewide green purchasing policies, guidelines, programs, best practices and regulations to the benefit of the health and well-being of the environment and Maryland citizens.

DGS Participants at today’s meeting (LtoR): David Bohanon, Legislative Office; Barry Powell, Director, Energy Office; Deputy Secretary for Energy, Leigh Williams; Randolph Wilson, Energy Administrator and GPC coordinator.

The Committee created guidelines for state purchasers that would advance the conservation of natural resources and energy in state agency operations. Specifications for the procurement of certain environmentally-friendly goods and services were created that outline such requirements. Additionally, the Committee has provided training and organized educational events to further promote Maryland’s leadership in environmentally preferable purchasing.

Learn more about the Green Purchasing Committee as well as the department’s other green operations.