Subject
title
Ratify and Approve the City Manager’s Earlier Execution of a Grant Agreement with the Maryland Energy Administration for the FY 2024 Maryland Smart Energy Communities/Clean Energy for Local Governments Grant for Lighting Improvements at Thomas Farm Community Center.
end
Department
PW - Environmental Management
Recommendation
Staff recommends the Mayor and Council ratify and approve the City Manager’s earlier execution of the FY 2024 Maryland Smart Energy Communities/Clean Energy for Local Governments grant agreement (Attachment 1) between the Mayor and Council of Rockville and the State of Maryland, to support LED lighting improvements at Thomas Farm Community Center.
Discussion
City staff received notice from the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) of a grant award of up to $63,000 supporting light emitting diode (LED) conversions at the Thomas Farm Community Center. The grant was awarded from the State of Maryland’s FY 2024 Maryland Smart Energy Communities (MSEC)/Clean Energy for Local Governments Program, a program designed to support local governments’ energy projects as they strive to meet energy efficiency goals. The grant funding is conditional upon a signed and executed grant agreement between MEA and Rockville (Attachment 1).
Authorizing the grant agreement with MEA would allow the city to improve facility lighting, reduce maintenance, reduce energy costs, and reduce greenhouse gases, while demonstrating City environmental leadership. This project, and others previously funded under MSEC grants, support Rockville’s greenhouse gas reduction goals, described in Rockville’s Climate Action Plan adopted by the Mayor and Council on January 10, 2022. This project helps the City address Action M-01, Complete energy assessments of City facilities and develop a strategic plan to reduce facility energy consumption.
Additionally, City staff believes these light conversions are also eligible for Pepco rebates through the EmPowerMD rebate program and will work with Pepco’s representatives to seek pre-approval for those additional incentives for the project.
MEA first provided the agreement to staff on October 15 and required that it be returned to MEA no later than November 3rd. Staff was unable to bring this item before this agenda because the agreement was not provided in time to align with agenda deadlines.
Mayor and Council History
This is the first time this item has been brought before the Mayor and Council.
Fiscal Impact
The $63,000 grant and the $29,000 match was added to the General Fund operating budget in the first FY 2025 budget amendment on August 5, 2024.
Next Steps
If ratified by the Mayor and Council, the City Manager will provide MEA with documentation of the ratification and approval.