Montgomery County Secures More Than $2 Million in Maryland Energy Administration Grant Awards for Sustainable Infrastructure

For Immediate Release: Friday, September 12, 2025

Montgomery County was awarded more than $2 million in competitive grants from the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) during the first half of 2025. The awards are for energy efficiency, clean energy, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure with additional social and environmental benefits.

The County won eight MEA grants totaling $2,108,294. These grants will support projects across the Department of General Services (DGS), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and Department of Transportation (DOT). The County's Office of Grants Management (OGM) provided coordination and technical assistance throughout the process.

Projects Include:

"Winning competitive grants like these brings additional funding into Montgomery County that we can put to work for our residents and our efforts to combat climate change," said County Executive Marc Elrich. "I want to thank the Maryland Energy Administration and Governor Moore's administration for offering these grants, as well as our County departments for pursuing these opportunities. These awards demonstrate how we can maximize outside resources to deliver services and improvements across the County."

This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to investing in clean energy and expanding access to sustainable solutions at the local level

"Partners like Montgomery County expand the reach and effectiveness of the Maryland Energy Administration's grants," said Maryland Energy Administration Director Paul G. Pinsky. "The projects on which we were able to partner with Montgomery County will deliver significant progress for local residents. They also illustrate the flexibility of the agency's approach in finding new and creative ways to advance better energy solutions for all of Maryland."

The County's Office of Grants Management played a vital role in securing these opportunities and is pleased to see the direct benefits returning to the community.

"These wins show that Montgomery County is a competitive, organized, and forward-thinking jurisdiction," said OGM Director Rafael Pumarejo Murphy. "We're proud to bring these County resident tax dollars back home."

County leaders echoed the importance of these collaborations, noting how they directly benefit residents and strengthen local initiatives.

"We appreciate MEA's significant contributions to the County's initiatives, particularly DGS' work in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing resilience and achieving Building Energy Performance Standard compliance. We are excited to build on our collaboration with MEA as we move forward," said DGS Director David Dise.

These partnerships strengthen efforts across multiple fronts, from building performance to environmental protection.

"We thank the Maryland Energy Administration for its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and collaboration," said DEP Acting Director Jeff Seltzer. "With these grants, we will invest in clean energy projects that increase solar production and expand electric vehicle charging. This work will help to reduce our environmental footprint, improve public health, save taxpayer dollars and build a more resilient future for our residents."

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) manages 21 parking garages, 20 parking lots, and over 21,000 parking spaces in the County's downtown areas of Wheaton, Silver Spring, and Bethesda.

"LED light installations are a key part of MCDOT's parking facility upgrades, improving safety while advancing the department's energy reduction and efficiency goals," said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. "Safe and well-lit parking facilities provide customer access to our business districts and generate revenue that helps maintain those areas. This grant supports energy-efficient lighting improvements in some of our Wheaton parking facilities located in a densely populated downtown area -- where they deliver the greatest impact."

The combined projects will deliver social, economic, and environmental co-benefits:

Maryland Energy Administration Grants Awarded to Montgomery County:

Awards were from four MEA programs: Clean Energy for Local Governments, Solar Canopy and Dual Use Technology Grant, Community Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Grant Program, and Public Facilities Solar Grant Program.

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