Sustainable Energy Initiatives
On May 15, 2015, the Maryland Public Service Commission (MD PSC) approved the Exelon/Pepco Holdings (PHI) merger. Upon the merger's closure on March 23, 2016, Prince George's County residents and businesses began receiving millions of dollars in benefits such as rate credits, low-income bill assistance, and enhanced reliability. After this merger, the AltaGas/WGL merger was approved. These mergers fund the programs listed below.
Energy Efficiency - Natural Gas Incentives (Now Available)
Solar PV & Solar Water Heater Grants
The Clean Energy Program builds on Maryland and Prince George's County's energy-efficiency and carbon reduction goals and will help make our County more energy resilient. Using a holistic approach to breaking energy injustice and barriers, we offer residents within the Pepco service territory of these nine neighborhoods, classified as Energy Resiliency Communities (ERCs), the ability to apply for grants to perform energy efficiency retrofits.
DoE Sustainable Energy can be reached at CleanE@co.pg.md.us and the numbers below.
NOTE: ALL applications must be submitted with the completed COVID-19 Participation Terms and Conditions Form.
Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 21 defines resiliency as "the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing conditions and withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from disruptions". From an energy perspective, resiliency is preparing for and adapting to utility disruptions and recovering quickly. It involves deploying distributed energy resources such as energy efficiency, renewable energy such as solar PV and thermal, battery storage, and microgrids. To learn more, select:
Apply for a Residential Energy Efficiency Grant TODAY!
Sustainable Energy - ENERGY STAR Certification & Green Leasing Grant
Sustainable Energy provides grants to existing office and multifamily building owners who are Pepco and/or Washington Gas customers to perform energy and water efficiency retrofits and obtain the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s ENERGY STAR certification. The building owners are also to adopt various best practices in Green Leasing to motivate landlords and tenants to engage in energy-efficient practices.
Sustainable Energy Workforce Development Program (SEWDP)
SEWDP will play a critical role in establishing an advanced energy industry in the County and building employment capacity in the energy sector. SEWDP unites the business community with training institutions, community-based organizations, and the local workforce development board to provide work-based learning and occupational skills training to prepare eligible Prince George's County residents within the Pepco service territory for employment in the sustainable energy sector. Examples of sustainable energy jobs or careers include but are not limited to energy auditors, solar photovoltaic or solar water heater installers, wind energy technicians, and weatherization technicians. To learn more, visit Sustainable Energy job training.
Energizing Student Potential (Energy Literacy)
In partnership with Exelon/Pepco, Prince Georges County Public Schools (PGCPS), and DoE Sustainable Energy, The National Energy Education Development (NEED) Energizing Student Potential is the first-of-its-kind STEM educational initiative implemented in PGCPS with a specific emphasis on energy efficiency, conservation, and alternative energy. Over 9,000 PGCPS students from elementary and middle schools participated in the energy literacy effort during the 2017-2019 school years. The academic year 2018-2019 included 29 schools (10 returning schools) and 80 teachers engaged in the program, with at least 6010 participating students. Professional development trainings were held in Bowie, MD, on October 13th, December 15th, and February 23rd. The students and teachers performed energy audits of their schools with a Certified Energy Manager and completed a curriculum on the science of energy, energy transformations, renewable energy, and other energy activities. The effort will continue into the 2020-2021 school year and expand to different schools.
Green Energy Loan Fund
FSC First serves as the Green Energy Loan Fund Manager, providing loan guarantees to participating lenders to compel them to finance sustainable energy projects. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, energy storage, community solar and other distributed energy generation, energy and water efficiency in buildings, microgrids, clean transportation, resiliency measures, and more.
The loan fund is unique in that it is:
- Managed by FSC First, a U.S. Treasury Community Development Financial Institution, whose goal is to expand economic opportunities in local communities by providing access to financial products and services and
- Requires diverse, minority-owned businesses and lenders to implement the project.