The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) announces the launch of its Fiscal Year 2025 Commercial, Industrial & Agricultural Grant Program.
Donor Name: Maryland Energy Administration (MEA)
State: Maryland
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/14/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The FY25 CI&A Program offers grants on a first-come, first-served basis, with award amounts being determined by a formulaic scoring based on the magnitude of energy savings.
Areas of Interest
The FY25 Program invites applications that conform to one of the following Areas of Interest (AOIs):
- AOI.1: Existing Facilities, Non-Agricultural
- Commercial, office, retail, hospitality, institutional, multifamily residential properties with five or more units, research, laboratory, data centers, or private elementary school and college facilities. Stationary facilities only.
- AOI.2: New Construction, Non-Agricultural
- Commercial, office, retail, hospitality, institutional, multifamily residential properties with five or more units, research, laboratory, data centers, private elementary school and college facilities, factories, material processing facilities, warehouses, or distribution centers. Stationary facilities only. Eligible facilities include first-time fabrication, substantial rehab with change of facility use, or existing structures repurposed after one year or more of vacancy.
- AOI.3: Agricultural
- Energy-related systems in stationary facilities not served by residential utility meters that support production derived from pasture or tilled land, consistent with North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 11.
- AOI.4: Combined Heat & Power (CHP)
- CHP systems providing high-grade industrial heat for manufacturing activities, data centers or other critical loads, subject to restrictions.
Funding Information
The anticipated budget is $3,100,000 from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (“SEIF”). MEA expects that individual award values will typically range between $100,000 to $250,000 per project. The total number of awards issued will depend on the quantity and quality of applications received. Grants are offered until funds are exhausted. The maximum value of any single grant award will be $400,000.
Eligible Investments
The Program considers only energy efficiency measures in stationary facilities. Typically, measures that effectively reduce energy waste are located within a building or embedded in the building shell itself. This program does not fund transportation equipment or the installation of solar panels or other measures intended to supplant traditional power and fuel inputs. Eligible investments are those that allow facilities to reduce the energy consumption and expense required to perform intended work, sustain occupant comfort, or meet safety or regulatory requirements. The investments eligible for grant reimbursement are limited to qualified equipment which is procured after the date of the grant agreement’s ratification. In no case will grants be issued to refinance a scope of work that is already underway. CI&A FY25 Program grants are intended to defray the cost of improvements that enhance energy efficiency and displace fossil-fuel-consuming equipment in dedicated spaces within buildings. Investments in existing facilities or new construction may be eligible. “New construction” includes facilities fabricated from the ground up, substantial rehab of existing facilities that are stripped down to the studs to allow reconfiguration with new mechanical systems, or existing facilities that are repurposed for new activities after a year or more of vacancy.
Eligibility Criteria
Entities eligible to apply for grants are business (registered corporations, LLPs, LLCs, GPs, etc.) or non-profit entities that operate facilities that perform any of the following activities:
- Manufacturing or industrial production/distribution/warehousing
- Data center operations
- Office, commercial, service, or retail operations
- Private school (Pre-K, K-12) education and administration
- Privately-owned college and university education and administration
- Multifamily residential buildings containing five or more units
- Agricultural entities (for AOI.3).
For more information, visit MEA.