The state is offering $25 million in energy efficiency grants to benefit low- and moderate-income residents.
The Residential Energy Equity Grant program supports energy efficiency and solar energy projects that reduce energy usage and pass on benefits to qualified residents, the Maryland Energy Administration said Tuesday. It is open to nonprofit groups and local government entities.
The 2026 program includes solar technology, covering the design and installation of solar photovoltaic energy systems for qualified residences. Grants are also available for projects that advance electrification and zero-emission technologies.
The program “helps income-qualified Marylanders in all parts of the state make home energy improvements that deliver long-term utility bill savings, healthier and safer homes and reduced greenhouse gas emissions,” Paul G. Pinsky, energy administration director, said in the announcement.
Low-income households have three times higher than average energy burdens compared with higher-income households, based on the share of monthly income spent on energy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Grants can be used to update outdated and inefficient lighting, appliances and heating and cooling systems.
Adding a solar system further reduces energy cost and consumption because the energy is produced at nearly no operating cost. Under the state’s net metering law, solar energy that exceeds a home’s usage can be sold back to the grid.
An information session is planned for 10 a.m. on Nov. 5 via Google Meet. The deadline to apply is Dec. 18 at 3 p.m.
For more information, contact Program Manager Angel Saules at residentialenergy.mea@maryland.gov or 410-537-4000.
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