Governor O’Malley’s 15 Strategic Policy Goals

9. Reduce Per Capita Electricity Consumption in Maryland by 15% by 2015

To ensure affordable, reliable, cleaner energy in Maryland, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has launched the EmPOWER Maryland program and developed a plan to reduce per capita electricity in Maryland by 15% by 2015.

Progress to Date

The O’Malley/Brown Administration passed the EmPower Maryland statute in 2008, and, to date, it has resulted in energy savings of 46 billion kWh of electricity, roughly 18% of the 2015 target.

peak demand graphStrategies

  • Provide energy efficient appliance rebates;
  • Establish home performance with ENERGY STAR programs;
  • Conduct energy efficiency retrofits to reduce energy bills for low and moderate income families;
  • Leverage public and private investments to offer local governments a clean energy loan program for their citizens;
  • Provide EmPOWERing Clean Energy Communities grants to support energy efficiency projects that generate significant energy savings;
  • Develop programs to assist with code compliance;
  • Partner with academic institutions to expand energy related job training opportunities;
  • Provide financial assistance to help Maryland businesses and institutions implement energy efficient upgrades; and
  • Expand SALP, a program which provides zero interest loans to state agencies for energy efficient improvements.

Read the more detailed plan to achieve this important energy goal...

Delivering Results

  • Established the Maryland Green Building Council in 2007, committing the State to constructing higher performing and more energy efficient buildings.
  • Passed 2008 legislation requiring all newly built or renovated State buildings and schools to meet a high green building standard.  Marylanders consumed 2 million MWh less electricity in 2009 compared to two years prior.
  • Retrofitted over 2,000 apartments and more than 6,000 single family homes in Maryland with energy efficiency measures .  
  • Established a State Agency Energy Database to monitor energy usage in state buildings .
  • Provided rebates to Marylanders for the purchase of nearly 50,000 energy efficient appliances.
  • Implemented lead-by-example State facility energy conservation projects that have reduced the State’s energy consumption by 7.5%, saving taxpayers more than $2 million and reducing the State Government’s carbon footprint by 5,000 tons of CO2 annually.
  • Assisted in the weatherization of hundreds of homes in Maryland, supporting the creation of about 700 jobs so far.  Our weatherization team is now conducting about 300 audits and retrofits per month to low- and moderate-income homes throughout Maryland. 

Progress toward delivery is monitored by the GDU, and assessed regularly at agency and cross-agency Stat meetings.