Council accepts roughly $1.07M state grant to upgrade landfill gas system and advance Waga project

Wicomico County voted unanimously on April 7 to accept grant funding from the Maryland Energy Administration and to amend the FY2026 capital budget to apply the funds to Newland Park landfill gas collection and conveyance upgrades. Acting public works director Adam Cory described the award as a partial grant (transcript figures reported as "1.076" million) from the Local Government Energy Modernization Program to support infrastructure needed to enable a Waga Energy project that would distill landfill gas to pipeline‑quality renewable natural gas.

Cory and county grants administrator Lori Carter described prior expectations for a larger state award and said the county intends to use bond dollars to make up the difference so the project can proceed. Finance director Pam Olen confirmed bond language allows use of those bond funds for cell upgrades and that the county would not need to amend debt covenants to use the bond dollars in conjunction with the grant.

In technical detail, staff said the grant will fund wells and conveyance upgrades needed to comply with EPA and state atmospheric emission standards for volatile organic compounds and to prepare the landfill gas for Waga’s cryogenic processing. Council members asked for clarifications about revenue potential from Waga’s downstream renewable natural gas and carbon‑value markets; staff said the grant is limited to the landfill upgrades and the Waga contract and revenue model are a separate step.

Council approved Resolution 56‑2026 with unanimous support. Staff will report back on contract and procurement steps as the capital budget is amended and projects are put under contract.