The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) today announced the award of grants totaling over $1 million to counties, nonprofits, and organizations in the energy industry as part of their “Resilient Maryland” microgrids program.

MEA awarded several counties and private sector partners grants for various energy resilience projects. Examples include $100,000 for the Howard County Government Campus to explore the feasibility of a microgrid solution that would increase the energy resiliency of mission critical buildings including the 911 call center and emergency operations. Baltimore City and Groundswell, Inc. are partnering to expand community solar projects to marginalized communities through a $300,000 grant.

“By funding vital infrastructure projects, Resilient Maryland will support our state’s clean energy future while securing affordable, reliable energy for Marylanders who need it most,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “This is just one more way that we are delivering on our commitment to innovative, common sense initiatives that protect our environment and promote economic opportunity.”

“The Resilient Maryland pilot offers a unique opportunity for innovation in Maryland across a variety of clean energy alternatives, reducing both financial risk and total project costs,” explained MEA Director Mary Beth Tung. “The response to this pilot was incredible, in fact, it was one of our most popular programs this year.”

From the press release:

Energy resiliency has taken center stage in the face of increasing global threats to grid integrity and severe storms, which can cause extended power outages. The goal of this program is to provide the state with replicable, scalable, and cost-effective solutions that will serve as models for wide-scale adoption. The high demand for this pilot program underscores the importance of state investment in innovation and why the programs like Resilient Maryland can help kick-start job growth.

Visit MEA’s website for a full list of awards.