The Maryland Energy Administration has announced grants for seven Maryland public school districts through its Fiscal Year 2022 Decarbonizing Public Schools program.
The grants have been provided for energy data management and net-zero energy school planning. The seven schools to receive the grants are the Prince George’s County Public Schools ($140,000), Baltimore County Public Schools ($135,000), Anne Arundel County Public Schools ($82,000), St. Mary’s County Public Schools ($75,000), Cecil County Public Schools ($70,000), Somerset County Public Schools ($60,000) and the Montgomery County Public Schools ($124,000).
The decarbonization program is launched in response to the rising demand for high-performance schools and the need to help local education agencies meet new energy requirements and reduce environmental impacts.
“Addressing the need for clean energy and energy efficiency in Maryland’s 24 public school districts, which include over 1,300 K-12 schools, provides multiple benefits to students and communities,” said MEA Director Dr. Mary Beth Tung. “School facilities are an essential part of meeting our state goals. A little help with developing capacity can provide long-term benefits in operations and operating costs.”
The FY22 School Decarbonization program supports Governor Hogan’s commitment to address climate change through the deployment of energy-efficient technologies.
In Baltimore County Public Schools, the district recently built the new West Towson Elementary School. This 69,300 square foot three story building accommodates 451 students and is the first USGBC LEED Silver Certified public school in Baltimore County
