Baltimore City and Constellation Energy team up to put $500,000 into initiatives to reduce energy use and increase UTC; Baltimore, MD

Maryland Daily Record
Baltimore City launches neighborhood energy-saving pilot
DANIELLE ULMAN
Daily Record Business Writer
August 12, 2009 2:17 PM
Mayor Sheila Dixon urged Baltimore neighborhood leaders to get out the word about energy conservation Wednesday with the launch of a pilot program encouraging households to trim power use.

The Baltimore Neighborhood Energy Challenge will run as a pilot for nine months in nine Baltimore communities, spreading the word about energy efficiency through neighbor-to-neighbor contact, in partnership with the Baltimore Community Foundation, an organization that helps businesses and donors plan charitable work.

The program’s goal is to reduce electricity use and cut greenhouse gas emissions in the city 15 percent by 2015, similar to the state’s EmPower Maryland goals. If the program is successful, Baltimore will roll out a citywide plan next year, said Sarah Zaleski, the city’s sustainability coordinator.

Baltimore will fund the project, which Zaleski said will cost $300,000, through donations from Constellation Energy Group Inc., other foundations and federal stimulus money. Constellation’s $500,000 gift will be invested in two areas — $200,000 will go to the energy challenge and $300,000 to help reach a goal set in the Baltimore Sustainability Plan to double the city’s tree canopy over the next 30 years, she said.