Maryland Receives Top Ten Ranking for Energy Efficiency in USA

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

Baltimore, MD – Maryland has received a Top Ten ranking in energy efficiency by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Maryland has been in the Top Ten list for eight consecutive years, ACEEE began issuing the annual rankings in 2006.

“Our administration is proud that Maryland continues to be a national leader in energy efficiency,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “We remain committed to leveraging energy efficiency to continue our remarkable environmental progress, while significantly reducing costs for Marylanders.”

The ACEEE annual report scores states based on six areas including: appliance standards, buildings, combined heat and power, state government, transportation, and utilities. Maryland’s enviable ranking is due to the State’s dedication to energy efficiency and stand out programs like the Combine Heat and Power (CHP) Grant, the Maryland Smart Energy Communities (MSEC) Grant, as well as our stringent building energy code classifications.

The State’s CHP program once again received a perfect score from ACEEE. CHP systems combine technologies to maximize energy efficiency and reduce waste. In traditional fossil fuel power plants, two-thirds of the energy used to generate electricity is wasted in the form of heat discharged to the atmosphere as well as through electricity transmission, achieving a combined efficiency of only 33 percent. By combining electricity generation and waste heat capture, CHP systems can operate at levels as high as 80 percent efficiency. To date, 44 businesses, nonprofits, and local governments in Maryland have received CHP grants. Our local CHP projects represent over 63 megawatts of new, resilient energy generation within the state. The State is currently accepting applications for this cycle of CHP through February 15, 2019, applications are available online https://energy.maryland.gov/business/Pages/MEACHP.aspx.

Another featured State program noted in the 2018 report is the Maryland Smart Energy Communities (MSEC) Program, which allows local governments to adopt two of three policies related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and transportation petroleum reduction. The MSEC Program began in 2013 and now has nearly 70 members. More information about MSEC can be found here https://energy.maryland.gov/govt/Pages/smartenergycommunities.aspx .

To read the detailed report card for Maryland, follow this link: https://database.aceee.org/state/maryland. To read the overall 2018 report, follow this link: https://aceee.org/state-policy/scorecard .

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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.