Green banks could help counties bundle resilience projects, attract institutional investment, and expand funding for critical local infrastructure.

Counties, particular smaller and more rural jurisdictions, often struggle to finance resilience, energy, and green infrastructure projects because smaller individual projects are generally too fragmented to attract pension funds, insurance companies, and other large institutional investors. Although these investors control significant amounts of capital and seek stable, long-term returns, they typically lack an efficient way to evaluate and fund numerous smaller local projects. As a result, counties often rely heavily on limited public grants and loans rather than using public dollars to leverage larger pools of private investment.

New research from the University of Maryland examines a new financing model which uses green banks or similar institutions to combine projects from multiple communities into diversified investment portfolios. Projects involving water systems, flood protection, and energy efficiency could be evaluated under consistent standards and then financed through investment funds, bonds, or loans tailored to different investors. By serving as an intermediary between local governments and financial institutions, green banks could reduce administrative complexity, spread risk across many projects, and make community-scale infrastructure more accessible to long-term private capital.

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At the 2026 MACo Summer Conference general session, “From Risk to Resilience: Local Tools for a Stronger Maryland,” panelists will explore how new financial tools can serve as practical implementation partners, using public, private, and county resources to advance clean energy, climate, and resilience goals while reinvesting in local communities.