MEA Awards Over $1.6 million in Grants to Boost Street Lighting Energy Efficiency in 11 Maryland Communities and Public School Districts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is pleased to announce 11 grants, totaling over $1.6 million, awarded to local governments and school districts seeking to upgrade their streetlights and other pole mounted outdoor lighting fixtures under MEA’s Fiscal Year (FY) 22 Streetlight and Outdoor Lighting Efficiency (SOLE) Pilot Grant Program. These grants defray the cost to acquire and install clean, cost-saving light-emitting diode (LED) light fixtures and controls. These awards are anticipated to result in the replacement of nearly 6,000 inefficient fixtures with highly energy-efficient alternatives.   

The SOLE Pilot Grant program is a new initiative for MEA. This effort was preceded by the report LED Streetlight Conversions in Maryland & Virginia: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies in 2020, funded by a U.S. Department of Energy Grant and conducted with partners including Clean Energy Solutions Inc., the National Association of State Energy Officials , the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Virginia Department of Energy.

According to MEA Director, Dr. Mary Beth Tung, “These advanced fixtures can reduce electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 70% while improving light quality. Efficient street and outdoor lighting improvements are one of the most valuable energy efficiency measures – and most beneficial in terms of community aesthetics – that a local government or organization can undertake.” 

FY22 SOLE grant awardees include the following organizations:

The SOLE Pilot Grant program supports Governor Hogan’s commitment to address climate change through the deployment of energy-efficient technologies. Visit MEA’s SOLE Pilot Program webpage for more information. Please contact Christopher Russell, Program Manager at chris.russell@maryland.gov with any additional questions.