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DGS reports $5.7M in energy grants, $300K in rebates and advances community‑solar and efficiency pilots
Summary
DGS told the council it secured about $5.7 million in FY25 energy grants, has found roughly $300,000 in rebates plus $600,000+ in bill refunds/avoided costs since January 2024, and is advancing solar and efficiency pilots including a 1 MW Back River plant and potential closed‑landfill community solar.
DGS told the Baltimore City Council that its energy office secured roughly $5.7 million in grant awards for FY25, reported energy-billing recoveries and rebates since January 2024, and is advancing both on‑site and community solar planning.
The department said the $5.7 million in awards is allocated across several priorities: about $4.5 million for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, approximately $1.1 million from the Maryland Department of the Environment for city‑building energy-efficiency projects, and roughly $380,000 for medium‑ and heavy‑duty vehicle support. DGS staff also said the office identified about $300,000 in utility rebate opportunities and more than $600,000 in billing refunds and avoided costs since January 2024, citing examples such as a $70,000 state tax refund and an identified $400,000 in overbilling by the utility.
DGS said it has entered nearly 296 buildings into the Energy Star Portfolio Manager benchmarking tool—exceeding its target of 270—and is using that benchmarking to prioritize capital decisions.
On solar, DGS reported an existing 1‑megawatt solar installation at Back River and a 10‑megawatt power‑purchase agreement in Hartford County that is being virtual‑net‑metered to the city. The department said it has run an RFI seeking developers for larger ground‑mounted and landfill solar projects and is pursuing a tentative award for up to two closed‑landfill community‑solar projects. Staff emphasized the goal of ensuring low‑ and moderate‑income Baltimore City residents can subscribe to any community‑solar deployments.
DGS said it is also testing building measures that reduce energy use without large capital outlays—window films, white (reflective) roofs, variable‑refrigerant‑flow HVAC replacements, and smart building automation systems that provide earlier fault detection. The department said those efficiency measures, along with hedging strategies for electricity procurement, helped yield a roughly $6 million relief for general‑fund agencies in the current budget year by avoiding and recovering billing costs.
Council members asked DGS to continue coordination with the Parking Authority, DPW, Planning, and neighborhoods; DGS said it will present further details as pilot projects move to procurement and construction.
