Over $1.8 Million Dollars Awarded in Commercial and Industrial Grants by the Maryland Energy Administration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jahmai Sharp-Moore | 443-694-3651

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Energy Administration today announced awards for the FY2017 Commercial and Industrial grant program. A total of 12 organizations will receive $1,820,000 in grants through the Commercial and Industrial grant program. The funding will enable the development of more sustainable, energy efficient companies in nine Maryland counties across the state.

“This program will help move Maryland businesses forward while continuing our commitment to clean energy by encouraging more sustainable and efficient energy consumption,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Our administration is proud to collaborate with innovative local companies to deliver both energy and cost savings for Marylanders.”

McCormick and Company will receive a $500,000 grant for their manufacturing site and warehouse space in Hunt Valley. The grant will enable both lighting and an air compressor system upgrades that will save approximately 3,081,592 kWh annually—a 15 percent savings. The project has an estimated payback of less than 11 years. McCormick will also leverage $699,632 in rebates from BG&E to support the project.

“Through these cost-cutting sustainable projects, Maryland firms are leading by example,” said Maryland Energy Administration Director Mary Beth Tung.

Ideal Buick, located in Frederick, MD will receive a $90,001 to fund a project that will include parking lot LED lighting and a service center HVAC upgrade. The auto dealership will save approximately 203,107 kWh annually—a 43 percent savings. The project has an estimated payback of about eight years.

The Commercial and Industrial grant program has maintained continuous popularity and this year a total of 29 applications were submitted for consideration. The Commercial and Industrial grant program requires that projects realize a minimum of 15 percent the annual electricity usage for a whole building or treated space within a building. Additionally, all projects must include at least two energy efficiency measures for approval.

The program is open to both commercial businesses and nonprofit organizations. CHANGE, Inc., a nonprofit located in Westminster, MD, provides services to developmentally disabled individuals. The organization will receive a grant for $35,340 to upgrade HVAC equipment in its 15,000 square foot facility and install LED lighting. The project is expected to save more than 109,000 kWh annually and pay for itself in six years.

Applications were evaluated based on several factors including: percentage of overall energy savings, financial payback, best practices, and feasibility. The project cost for all applications exceeded more than $20 million, with the total grant requests exceeding $6,320,000. The type of applications included commercial office buildings, manufacturing facilities, hospitals, museums, apartment buildings, convenience stores, warehouses, car dealerships, and high rise multi-function buildings.

The Commercial and Industrial grant program encourages private commercial and industrial entities to aim for great energy savings. Financial awards provided by the Maryland Energy Administration fund fifty percent of the project costs. Total awards range from $15,227 to $400,000 dollars, a list of awardees can be found here:Maryland Energy Administration CandI FY17 Awards Listing . Examples of some of the energy upgrades were lighting, temperature controls, variable frequency dries, heating ventilation and air conditioning, refrigeration and structure insulations. Funding for the program comes from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, which was created from public auctions of carbon credits through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. For more information on the program please visit: http://energy.maryland.gov/business/Pages/incentives/empowermdcigp.aspx

###

Maryland Energy Administration On behalf of Governor Hogan the mission of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is to promote affordable, reliable and cleaner energy for the benefit of all Marylanders.  To achieve its mission, MEA advises the Governor, General Assembly on matters relating to energy policy.  MEA administers grant and loan programs to encourage clean energy technologies in all sectors of Maryland’s economy: Residential, Commercial, Agricultural, and Transportation. For more information about the Maryland Energy Administration, visit www.energy.maryland.gov and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.