Baltimore: Strategic Energy Planning In Charm City

Abstract

The Baltimore City government’s energy vision includes a future
where clean, reliable, and affordable energy fuels all of our city opera-
tions and community. To achieve this vision, the Department of Public
Works’ Office of Sustainable Energy (OSE) created a Strategic Energy
Management Plan (Energy Plan). This plan sets long term goals and lays
out strategies for a financially healthy and environmentally stable city
government. Baltimore is pursuing this strategy with a specialized en-
ergy team of project managers, energy auditors, engineers, accountants,
and financial analysts, whose projects cut across agencies and finds the
right combination of quick return on investment and essential capital
investments.
OSE’s model is distinct for a mid-size city. Funding sources in-
clude fees for service to agency customers, grants, and financing with
the city’s Master Lease program. The fee for service model puts a dollar
value on OSE’s expertise and ties energy savings to our projects. OSE is
involved from project conception to tracking performance over time.
This article is an abridged version of Baltimore’s strategic energy
plan.