The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has announced $3.3 million in grant funding for fiscal 2021 Combined Heat and Power (CHP) grants, enabling a Howard County firm and seven other Maryland organizations to maximize energy efficiency, decrease carbon emissions and maintain services during a power outage.
Redmed, of Jessup, was awarded $317,300. Redmed, a subsidiary of Verano Brands, operates a state-of-the-art medicinal cannabis facility in Howard County. With sustainability in mind, and a product that requires substantial energy for optimal output and quality, Redmed has pursued multiple energy projects to enhance operational efficiency and source energy from clean, resilient sources to keep its costs and carbon footprint low.
The company will use the award to install a 2,000 kW CHP system that will provide electricity for virtually all of the lighting and cooling loads at the facility, as well as the ability to continue operation in the event of a grid outage. Redmed was also the recipient of a fiscal 2017 Commercial, Industrial & Agricultural Energy Efficiency award from MEA for the installation of multiple, highly-efficient energy conservation measures.
“Powering Maryland’s clean energy future is an essential collaboration between the public and private sectors,” said Mary Beth Tung, MEA director. “This round of new CHP awards builds on our previous successes and ensures that Maryland businesses and critical infrastructure are able to run more efficiently and provide services, even during a blackout.”
CHP systems combine technologies to efficiently reduce energy waste and offer cleaner, more resilient energy. The CHP grant is funded by the Strategic Energy Investment Fund. The funding was divided between two cycles. A full list of fiscal 2021 awardees can be found at FY21 MEA CHP Award List (maryland.gov).