Energy Archives

#MACoCon Recap: Environmental Finance Center’s Rural Offerings

At the MACo Winter Conference, attendees learned about how UMD's Enviro. The Finance Center can help rural counties secure additional resources. MACo’s Rural County Coalition provides a forum for Maryland’s rural counties to share their unique perspective on critical state and federal policy issues. At this meeting, the University of Maryland’s Environmental Finance Center walked through services and opportunities to help rural leaders access grant funding and other resources to better serve their communities. Additionally, rural…

Comments Off

December 16, 2025

Energy / Environment / Winter Conference

#MACoCon Recap: What Battery Storage Means for Maryland Counties

At the MACo Winter Conference, attendees heard about the challenges and opportunities related to battery energy storage systems. County governments sit at the intersection of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and local community priorities, with responsibilities that span land-use review, permitting, and coordination with public safety agencies. Storage projects can affect grid reliability and electricity system costs, and they raise important questions around safety standards, emergency response planning, and ongoing operations and maintenance. As the…

Comments Off

December 15, 2025

County News / Energy / Environment / Housing and Community Development

Prince George’s Launches Rooftop Solar Project, “Solarize Prince George’s”

Prince George's County has announced the launch of Solarize Prince George's, a new County initiative designed to make rooftop solar more accessible, affordable, and achievable for homeowners across the County. The campaign provides residents with trusted information, vetted contractor connections, and between $5,000 -$10,000 in County grant funding to support the installation of residential solar panels. From the county press release: "Solarize Prince George's is about empowering our residents with the tools and resources they…

Comments Off

December 4, 2025

Energy / Winter Conference

Rurals to Hear About One Time $64M Energy Funding at #MACoCon

The Rural County Coalition will hear about the state's one-time $64 million Local Government Energy Modernization Program (L-GEM). MACo’s Rural County Coalition provides a forum for Maryland’s rural counties to share their unique perspective on critical state and federal policy issues. They will meet at the 2025 Winter Conference on Thursday, Dec 11, from 11:45 am – 12:45 pm. At this meeting, the University of Maryland’s Environmental Finance Center will walk through services and opportunities to…

Comments Off

December 1, 2025

Energy / Winter Conference

DOE Interconnection Proposal Raises Jurisdictional Questions

A proposed plan for federal intervention in the interconnection of data centers to the energy grid raises questions over state and federal jurisdiction. The U.S. Department of Energy is urging federal regulators to set national rules for how data centers and other large electric customers connect to the grid—a move that has sparked strong pushback from state regulators and lawmakers. Groups like the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the National Conference of State Legislatures argue…

Comments Off

November 24, 2025

Energy / Environment / Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works / Winter Conference

Keeping Pace with Growth: The Role of Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances

APFOs are a key tool for managing growth and infrastructure. Learn how counties leverage these policies to achieve better policy outcomes. Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances (APFOs) help counties manage growth by linking new development to the capacity of schools, roads, water, sewer, and other services so infrastructure and taxpayers aren’t overwhelmed. They’ve also become controversial, with critics arguing that strict standards or long delays can be used to block housing, drive up costs, or push…

Comments Off

November 24, 2025

Energy / Information Technology / Winter Conference

Data Centers Take Center Stage for Large County Coalition at #MACoCon

Maryland’s largest counties sit at the center of a national surge in data center development. Demand for cloud services, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing continues to rise, and counties now face new questions about land use, energy infrastructure, workforce pipelines, and long-term fiscal impact. While data centers bring significant tax revenue and infrastructure investment, they also create real challenges: power availability, community compatibility, emergency response needs, and the complexity of coordinating with utilities and…

Comments Off

November 24, 2025

Energy / Environment

PJM Rejects Data Center Proposals, Board Still Advancing Plan

PJM members recently voted down 12 proposals to handle new data center demand, board still advancing final plan by December. PJM Interconnection – the grid operator that covers all or parts of 13 states and D.C., including Maryland – is working on new rules for how large, power-hungry data centers plug into the system. Rapid growth in AI and cloud computing is driving up electricity demand, especially in nearby Northern Virginia, and PJM expects data…

Comments Off

November 20, 2025

Energy / Environment / Winter Conference

MEA Opens Commercial and Canopy Solar Grant Applications

The Maryland Energy Administration has opened the application window for state commercial and canopy grant applications. The Maryland Energy Administration recently opened applications for $13 million in grants to help businesses and organizations across Maryland expand the use of clean energy systems to cut energy bills and combat climate change. Through the Fiscal Year 2026 Commercial and Canopy Solar Program, the agency aims to help businesses and nonprofit organizations better manage energy costs, reduce energy…

Comments Off

November 18, 2025

Energy / Winter Conference

EPA Delays Rulemaking for Solar Waste

EPA has delayed its rulemaking process for producing guidance on how to handle solar panels after decommissioning. As the nation’s solar capacity continues to expand, federal regulators have yet to finalize a cohesive framework for managing end-of-life solar panels—leaving states, local governments, and the private sector to navigate a growing policy gap. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has discussed placing photovoltaic (PV) modules under a more flexible “universal waste” designation, which would simplify transport and…

Comments Off

November 11, 2025