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Anticipated Funding 

$13,000,000  is available from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (“SEIF”), for grants under this Program. The total amount awarded may be more or less, depending on the quantity and quality of applications received.

Awards are calculated specific to the Area of Interest (AOI)

AOI 1 - Preconstruction and Planning

Minimum Grant Award per applicant: $50,000

Maximum Grant Award per applicant: Dependent on Project Type

Funding formula by Project and Applicant Type: Individual grants will be up to the maximum individual grant amount based on project and applicant type, whichever is less: 

Applicant Type

• Government and Nonprofit: Individual grants will be up to the following maximum amounts, covering up to 100% of total project costs.
• For-Profit Entities: Individual grants will be up to the same maximum amounts, but capped at 50% of total project costss

Project Type

• Microgrid: $125,000
• Resiliency Hub(s): $15,000 per hub, maximum ten (10) hubs in a project. 
• Resilient Facility Power System: $50,000

 

AOI 2 - Microgrids

Minimum Grant Award per applicant: $100,000

Maximum Grant Award per applicant: Dependent on Project Type

Funding formula by Project and Applicant Type: Individual grants will be up to the following maximum individual grant amounts, based on the applicant and project type

Applicant Type

• Government and Nonprofit: Individual grants will be up to the maximum amounts, covering up to 95% of total project costs.
• For-Profit Entities: Individual grants will be up to the same maximum amounts, but capped at 50% of total project costs.

Project Type

• Microgrid: $1,500,000
• Resilient Facility Power System: $1,000,000 
• Resilient Combined Heat and Power: $300,000
• Resiliency Hub (non LMI communities) $2,000 per kilowatt of direct current (“kWDC”) new solar PV capacity, and $2,000 per kilowatt hour (“kWh” of battery energy storage

 

AOI 3 - Resiliency Hubs

Minimum Grant Award per applicant: $100,000

Maximum Grant Award per applicant: $2,000,000

Funding formula by Applicant Type: Individual grants will be up to $5,000 per kilowatt of direct current (“kWDC”) new solar PV capacity, plus a battery energy storage system, up to $2,000,000 based on the applicant type.

• Government and Nonprofit: Individual grants will be up to the maximum amounts, covering up to 95% of total project costs.
• For-Profit Entities: Individual grants will be up to the same maximum amounts, but capped at 50% of total project costs.

Award calculations are subject to the requirement that each grant amount will be based on the capacity of solar PV capacity, rated in terms kWDC that is necessary to provide the energy needed to satisfy the required resiliency hub loads for the required period of time. 

Note: Additional solar PV or BESS capacity may be added to the minimum capacity needed to power the required resiliency hub loads, but the grant amount will only help offset the cost of the new solar PV capacity needed for the required resiliency hub loads. MEA will not provide funds for any existing solar PV or BESS capacity that has been previously installed at the project site. 

 

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include local governments, nonprofit organizations, and private commercial businesses that are legally authorized to operate in Maryland. The Program is not open to residential applicants.

Eligible Activities 

AOI 1: Preconstruction Planning

AOI 1 funds feasibility analysis and other preconstruction diligence activities for planning microgrids, resiliency hubs, and resilient facility power systems.

Eligible activities focus on developing five key planning deliverables:

1. Feasibility Analysis
2. Preliminary Engineering & Project Design
3. Project Financial Proforma
4. Greenhouse Gas Impact Analysis
5. Implementation Barriers Analysis

 

AOI 1 grants cannot be used for equipment or construction costs. It can only be used for these preconstruction deliverables.

AOI 2: Microgrids 

AOI 2 provides capital support for equipment purchase and installation for the construction of microgrids and resilient facility power systems. Funds under this Program help offset costs related to equipment purchase and installation to build out DER (distributed energy resource) systems.

AOI 3: Resiliency Hubs

AOI 3 provides capital support for equipment and installation costs for solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems at facilities that serve as resiliency hubs. Funds under this AOI help offset costs related to equipment purchase and installation to build out a DER for a Resiliency Hub location.

Questions Can be Directed to: 

Interested applicants may submit questions, comments, concerns, and suggestions to the following MEA Program Manager:

Emma Stoney

rmp.mea@maryland.gov

410-382-1605

 

Confidential and Personal Information  

In accordance with Section 4-501(c)(3) of the General Provisions Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, MEA is required to advise Applicants of the following:

1. Any personal information requested in the Application is necessary to evaluate the eligibility of the Applicant for a Grant.
2. Failure to provide all required information will prevent MEA from processing the Application.
3. Some of this information may be provided to other agencies of the State to process the payment of Grant Funds if the Applicant is awarded a Grant.
4. The Applicant’s name, project information, and Grant award may be publicly accessible on our website if the Applicant is awarded a Grant.
5. As set forth in Section 4-502 of the General Provisions Article, an applicant has the right to inspect, amend, or correct a personal record as maintained by the Program.

All information submitted in a Grant Application is subject to the Maryland Public Information Act (PIA). If the Applicant believes information in the Application is confidential and therefore should be exempt from disclosure under the PIA, the Applicant shall clearly mark this information and identify it by page and section or line number. Upon request for information from a third party, MEA is required to make an independent determination whether the information must be disclosed under the PIA. Designating information as confidential does not guarantee that it will be exempt from disclosure.

 

Program Changes:

Any update (e.g, extension of a deadline) or clarification about the Program and any corrections to inadvertent errors in the Program information will be available on the Program webpage. In addition, MEA will communicate clarifications and updates made after the application deadline directly to applicants or grantees, as applicable, by letter and/or e-mail. The final grant amount for each Grantee will be made after review of all proposals received and is subject to funding availability for the Program and any relevant statutory requirement applicable at that time

Grant Program General Provisions: 

MEA grant programs are covered by general provisions that apply to all energy programs, the most current version of these General Provisions is v.3, February 2022.  The latest approved version of this document will be incorporated into all FY26 grant agreements issued by MEA.

In addition to the general provisions, MEA may at its sole discretion  obligate some, all, or none of the FY26 Program budget, based on the quality and eligibility of applications submitted to MEA.