Montgomery County - Clean Energy Rewards Program (Maryland)

Summary

Last modified on February 12, 2015.

Financial Incentive Program

Place	Maryland
Name	Montgomery County - Clean Energy Rewards Program
Incentive Type	Local Rebate Program
Applicable Sector	Commercial, Residential
Eligible Technologies	Photovoltaics, Wind, Biomass
Active Incentive	No
Implementing Sector	Local
Energy Category	Renewable Energy Incentive Programs
Amount	0.005 (0.5 cents) per kWh
Start Date	2006-08-10
Maximum Incentive	Residential: 20,000 kWh/year Commercial: 400,000 kWh/year
Program Administrator	Montgomery County
Website	http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dectmpl.asp?url=/Content/dep/energy/CleanEnergyRewards.asp
References	DSIRE

Summary

Note: Due to high demand, all available funds have for this program have already been allocated. It is possible that new program participants will be able to receive awards if additional funding becomes available.

The Montgomery County Clean Energy Rewards program provides incentives to Montgomery County residents, businesses, non-profits, and congregations for purchasing clean energy through certified suppliers. Customers receive a credit of 0.5 cents per kWh ($0.005/kWh)* of clean energy used. The credit applies to purchases of up to 20,000 kWh per year for residential customers and 400,000 kWh per year for non-residential customers. In order to be eligible for a reward, participants must make a minimum clean energy purchase commitment of at least 50% of their annual electricity use. The incentives are distributed by suppliers and will appear as a credit on consumer’s monthly bills. The County's Department of Environmental Protection, which administers the program, estimates that this credit should offset a significant portion of the incremental cost of clean energy. The exact level of savings depends on the relative costs of green energy products compared to standard utility price offerings.

A list of participating suppliers and descriptions of eligible products are available on the program’s website. The only electricity supplier providing Clean Energy Rewards eligible products is Washington Gas Energy Services. Consumers interested in the program may also purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs). The REC marketers providing eligible REC products are Clean Currents, Sterling Planet, and WindCurrent.

All suppliers and products marketed through the program are certified by DEP. Clean energy products must be generated within the U.S., tracked in a regional RTO or ISO system such as PJM GATS, WREGIS, M-RETS, etc., and composed of solar, wind, methane gas, and/or sustainable biomass. A total of $561,000 is available for rewards through 2009. Consumers can learn more about the program through the website listed above.

Consumers generating electricity on their property using photovoltaics (PV) can also receive rewards from Montgomery County. Click here for more information on rewards for on-site renewable energy generation.

*County Resolution 16-737 enacted in October 2008 reduced the incentive level to $0.005/kWh for all customers from the prior levels of $0.01/kWh for residential customers and from $0.015/kWh for non-residential customers. The resolution also increased the maximum non-residential purchase from 100,000 kWh to 400,000 kWh.

Authorities (Please contact the if there are any file problems.)

Authority 1:	Montgomery County Bill 39-04
Date Effective	2005-06-18
Date Enacted	2005-03-08

Authority 2:	Montgomery County Executive Regulation 26-08AM, Clean Energy Rewards Program
Date Effective	2006-08-10
Date Enacted	2006-07-11

Authority 3:	Montgomery County Resolution 16-737
Date Enacted	2008-10-14

Incentive Contact

Contact Name	Susan Kirby
Department	Montgomery County Maryland
Division	Department of Environmental Protection
Address	255 Rockville Pike
Address 2	Suite 120
Place	Rockville, Maryland
Zip/Postal Code	20850
Phone	(240) 777-7700
Email	Susan.Kirby@montgomerycountymd.gov
Website	http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dectmpl.asp?url=/Content/dep/DEPcommon/contact.asp

• Incentive and policy data are reviewed and approved by the N.C. Solar Center's DSIRE project staff.