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Nearly $3 Million Available for Microgrid and Resiliency Hub Development and Construction

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jahmai Sharp-Moore | 443-694-3651

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is pleased to announce that the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Resilient Maryland Program is now accepting applications. This comprehensive program provides preconstruction analysis and capital installation funds for the development and construction of microgrids, resilient facility power systems (RFPSs), and resiliency hubs. It enables reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy to Maryland communities, critical infrastructure, businesses, higher learning campuses, agriculture, and many other industries vulnerable to power outages; $2.7 million of funding is available.

The FY23 Resilient Maryland Program consolidates three MEA resiliency programs into a single streamlined “one-stop” program platform. The current offering includes three Areas of Interest (AOIs): (1) Feasibility and Planning, (2) Microgrid Capital, and (3) Resiliency Hubs. This model provides a continuity of grant offerings to provide funds based on where potential applicant’s projects are in the development-design-construction process, as well as their motivating factors for pursuing the systems. 

Microgrids, RFPSs, and resiliency hubs are systems of distributed energy resources (DER) connected together with advanced control systems that allow them to provide energy to the buildings and infrastructure connected to them on an ongoing basis and during outages. This is important for critical facilities such as hospitals, senior care facilities, water treatment systems, food producers, and emergency services, among many others necessary for communities to both survive and thrive both during and after disruptions. DER systems can also provide sustainability, efficiency, and energy affordability benefits under normal conditions by reducing the amount of energy needed from the grid. They can even be configured to benefit and support the overall utility grid.

This program aims to help Maryland communities benefit from strategic deployment of DER systems, and this is especially beneficial for communities and Marylanders that are experiencing disproportionate socioeconomic challenges and vulnerabilities. Microgrids and similar systems can help ease energy burden–the percentage of monthly income a household spends on energy–and resiliency hubs can provide safe, easily-accessible community locations for residents to access power for essential devices, conditioned space, and refrigeration for temperature-sensitive items.

Microgrids designed to serve entire communities deliver many benefits to the residents and businesses connected to them. The FY23 Resilient Maryland Program highly encourages community microgrids that are planned for locations within local jurisdictions where key businesses and services are located. Key businesses and services are those that are generally necessary for communities to function, and include, at minimum: grocery stores, pharmacies, general merchandise stores, hardware stores, gas stations, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Applications are being accepted competitively under each AOI, and are due by 5:00 P.M. EST, Thursday, January 26, 2023. For more information, please visit the Resilient Maryland webpage. Questions can be directed to the Resilient Maryland Program Managers:

For more information about MEA and its programs and resources, please visit us at Energy.Maryland.gov. 

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