Maryland Energy Administration Announces the FY22 Community Solar LMI-PPA Program

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is pleased to announce the opening of the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Community Solar LMI PPA Grant Program on July 19, 2021. This program provides funding to Community Solar Subscriber Organizations for added costs associated with making the Community Solar Pilot Program accessible to the Low and Moderate Income (LMI) community. The program’s purpose is to increase the participation of LMI households in the Community Solar Pilot Program, administered by the Maryland Public Service Commission, by encouraging Subscriber Organizations to provide greater cost savings to LMI subscribers than would otherwise be offered.

In FY22, approximately $660,000 is available for this competitive grant program. The award amount is easily calculated using a spreadsheet that can be downloaded from the Community Solar LMI-PPA Grant Program website. Applications will be accepted until Friday, October 1, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Projects must meet all eligibility requirements to be considered for award funding. Full program information and application materials can be found in the program’s Funding Opportunity Announcement.

In FY21, MEA provided $907,375 to build three new community solar arrays which will provide more than 12 million kWh per year in new solar generation, with over 4 million kWh per year guaranteed to LMI subscribers. These projects will provide low-cost energy to about 420 households for the next 20 years. These projects were made possible by the FY21 Community Solar LMI PPA Grant Program, funded by the Strategic Energy Investment Fund. Projects will be built in Carroll, Montgomery and Washington Counties. A full list of projects can be found here. 

Please contact David Comis, the Community Solar LMI-PPA Grant Program Manager, at david.comis@Maryland.gov or via phone at (410) 537-4063 (office) with any questions or concerns regarding eligibility or application requirements.