Clean Energy Program
Announcements
Sustainable Energy is now accepting NEW Grant applications for our Clean Energy – Energy Efficiency Grant for Natural Gas incentives only. Applications for Electric incentives are not currently available. Please be advised that applications for our Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Solar Water Heater Grants will remain on moratorium until further notice.
If you have any questions, email us at CleanE@co.pg.md.us.
The Clean Energy Program, Energy Efficiency Grant award joins ongoing efforts and programs created by Prince George’s County to uplift neighborhoods that face economic, health, public safety and educational challenges. This grant award, coupled with state energy incentives, provides assistance to residents to adopt energy-efficiency measures in nine designated neighborhoods, classified as Energy Resiliency Communities (ERCs).
Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 21 (PDF) defines resilience as "the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing conditions and withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from disruptions". From an energy perspective, resiliency is the ability to prepare for and adapt to utility disruptions and recover quickly from these disruptions. It involves the deployment of distributed energy resources such as energy efficiency, renewable energy such as solar PV and thermal, battery storage, and micro-grids.
The ERCs evolved from a County initiative, formerly known as Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative (TNI), which utilized several metric indicators such as education, public safety, and employment to identify key neighborhoods across the County needing holistic uplifting.
The Clean Energy Program builds on Maryland and Prince George’s County’s energy-efficiency and carbon reduction goals and seeks to help alleviate efficiency challenges faced by County residents. Taking the link between energy efficiency and social inequality to heart and helping to break the cycle of energy inefficiency and energy poverty, the Clean Energy Programs are to assist ERC residents with adopting energy efficiency measures in their homes.
Lowering Home Energy Costs Through the Inflation Reduction Act
The Inflation Reduction Act’s consumer tax credits for certain home energy technologies are already available. Americans who installed the following technologies in 2023 can claim credits on their tax returns due on April 15, 2024:
- Families who install an efficient electric heat pump for heating and cooling can receive a tax credit of up to $2,000 and save an average of $500 per year on energy bills.
- Families who make other energy efficiency improvements can receive tax credits worth up to $500 for doors, $600 for windows, $150 for a home energy audit, and up to 30 percent off the cost of new insulation—a total of up to $1,200 per year in tax credits.
- Families who install rooftop solar, geothermal or battery storage at home can save up to 30 percent of the cost of the installation via a tax credit and save nearly $400 per year on their energy bills.
Program Objectives
Funds can be used to offset the costs of various energy efficiency and retrofitting measures, and for professional services needed to address barriers and transform to higher efficiency and of renewable energy adoption (solar PV and solar water heater) for the respective property.
Participants of the Clean Energy Program are required to apply to the applicable EmPOWER Maryland incentive program: for market rate applicants, Pepco's Home performance with ENERGY STAR Program, or for income-qualified applicants, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development's (DHCD) Low Income Energy Efficiency Program (LIEEP).
Grants will be available to offset the costs of measures as recommended by a home energy assessment, to facilitate implementation of efficiency measures and may also be used to address challenges that would prevent the adoption of recommended efficiency measures. Upon completion of energy efficiency upgrades, residents in ERC designated communities may apply for solar PV and/or solar water heater grants.
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Energy Efficiency Grant
The Clean Energy Program, Energy Efficiency grant award provides up to $6,250 in funds for residential energy efficiency measures, in addition to Pepco and Washington Gas incentives.
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Solar Energy Grants
These grants award, coupled with state energy incentives, provides assistance to residents to access the benefits of solar photovoltaic (PV) and/or solar water heater upon the successful implementation of energy-efficiency (electricity and natural gas) measures.