EmPOWER Maryland to save customers $4 billion

A study from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released a study recently showing that Maryland energy efficiency program, EmPOWER Maryland, will save customer more than $4 billion on electric bills.

EmPOWER Maryland, enacted in 2008, offers incentives and technical assistance to individuals and businesses for energy efficiency measures through Maryland’s five largest utility companies. The efficiency improvements installed in homes and businesses through the program were made between 2008 and 2015.

The program also reduced emissions by almost 19 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, over 34 million pounds of nitrogen oxides, and nearly 78 million pounds of sulfur dioxide over the same time period.

“EmPOWER has proven critical for helping us improve the energy efficiency of our affordable multifamily properties, which lowers utility costs and provides healthy homes for our residents” Trisha Miller, sustainability director for WISHROCK, said.

The first phase of the program sought to reduce per capita electricity usage by 10 percent and peak demand by 15 percent by 2015. The Maryland Public Service Commission concluded that the state reached 99 percent of the consumption goal and 100 percent of the peak demand goal.

“EmPOWER Maryland is an unqualified success story for the state,” Brendon Baatz, study co-author and utilities policy manager with ACEEE, said. “With Phase One of the program complete, Maryland regulators must now renew their support for EmPOWER Maryland so that consumers and businesses can continue to reap the benefits of lower utility bills and cleaner air.”