MEA- Data Center Energy Efficiency Grant Program

Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) provides grants to innovative energy efficiency solutions that reduce electrical usage in data centers and improve overall Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) in existing data centers. The competitive Program is open to any commercial, state/local government, or non-profit data center located or being constructed within the State of Maryland with an overall data floor facility size of at least 2,000 square feet. For the purposes of this Program, a data center is defined as a facility used to house only computers, server and networking systems, IT components, and supporting infrastructure. Grant awards are expected to range from $20,000 to $200,000 per eligible project, subject to funding availability.

Grants are designed to cover up to 50% of the net customer cost (up to $200,000), after other incentives and grants have been applied, for innovative and cost-effective energy efficiency solutions. Eligible efficiency measures include, but are not limited to, server virtualization; air flow optimization; aisle containment; lighting controls; uninterruptible power supplies (UPS); motors and variable frequency drives; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades; and building insulation and envelope improvements.