by RMI
by RMI RMI

RMI Energy Efficiency Program Helps Maryland Manufacturers Receive $302,800 in New Grant Awards

Regional Manufacturing Institute (RMI) of Maryland Administers Program Funded by The State of Maryland

BALTIMORE, MD – The Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland (RMI) is pleased to announce that The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has approved grant funding totaling $302,800 for four RMI Energy Program manufacturing companies through the state agency’s Commercial, Industrial and Agriculture Grant Program (CI&A) to support improving energy efficiency and reducing energy costs. 

RMI helped the grant award recipients, who are all currently participants in RMI’s ongoing Energy Program, submit their winning grant award applications. The grant recipient manufacturing companies include four Maryland Eastern Shore manufacturers:

  • Aquafin, based in Cecil County, was awarded $69,000
  • Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, based in Wicomico County, was awarded $45,800
  • Terumo Medical Corporation, based in Cecil County, was awarded $100,000
  • Tishcon Corporation, based in Wicomico County, was awarded $88,000 

The MEA competitive Commercial, Industrial and Agriculture (C&IA) grant program opened last fall and applications were submitted by October 15, 2019 (see MEA press release for further detail and a listing of all of the grant recipients). 

The competitive grant process looked for companies to commit to energy savings projects which achieve a minimum of a 20% baseline decrease in electricity use.  The four awarded companies from the RMI Energy Program are estimated to collectively reduce energy consumption by 28% from their baseline with a 3,913,185-kilowatt energy reduction. The companies will collectively save $298,420 annually as a result of implementing their various projects.  In addition, RMI is working with the companies to access utility rebates for each of their eligible energy improvement projects which are estimated to be collectively over $300,000.

RMI will continue to work with the firms to ensure energy savings are achieved.  The manufacturing companies had previous energy audits from RMI and had benefited from the program’s help in deciding the best energy projects to pursue in the near-term.

“MEA’s C&I grant program is a tremendous help to Maryland’s manufacturing industry, as it really helps us move these projects forward to help manufacturers save energy,” said Peter Gourlay, the manager of RMI’s Energy Program.  “Manufacturers look for a quick payback on their energy investments and the CI&A grant program is a great pump-primer to getting companies to commit,” he said.

Under RMI’s State-funded Energy Program, manufacturers in two major Maryland utility areas (PEPCO and Delmarva Power) are eligible to receive thousands of dollars of engineering services to help them reduce energy consumption and save on energy costs. The program tasks RMI with reaching out to eligible manufacturers through a proven approach to identify energy savings projects and help convince management to implement energy savings projects to save them money, while reducing their energy consumption.  

Over the past six years, the RMI Energy Program has helped over 100 eligible manufacturing companies receive over $8 million in cost savings, including: 80,000 MWh energy reduction,
$6 million saved from energy upgrades plus $2.15 million saved million in rebates and grants received ($1.3 million received from previous MEA C&I grants and another $1 million from energy rebates).

“RMI is helping manufacturers become more competitive by cutting their energy costs and accessing project funding sources from MEA’s incentive programs and through utility rebate programs,” said RMI President Michael Galiazzo. “As manufacturers pivot to assess their new operating environment, RMI’s Energy Program can be a great resource to helping to one of the top costs for manufacturers,” he said.

Despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, RMI’s Energy Program continues to engage eligible Maryland manufacturers served by Delmarva Power and PEPCO.  RMI’s engineering team has full capability to operate remotely and works with facility managers to assess opportunities for them to cut costs. “In additional our technical expertise to provide remote energy audits, RMI can be helpful as companies adapt to the new normal by changing building air flow to ensure a healthy operating environment,” said Gourlay.  “These changes could impact a company’s energy use and we can make sure that this will be conducted in the most cost-efficient manner,” he said.

Companies wishing to benefit from RMI’s Energy Program or receive RMI’s no-cost help to apply for the next round of MEA CI&A grants, are encouraged to call RMI’s Energy Program Manager Peter Gourlay at 443-275-2489.

Founded in 1990, the Regional Manufacturing Institute (RMI), a non-profit association, was created for manufacturers in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. Today, RMI of Maryland represents the interests of manufacturers statewide – providing programs, services, and advocacy. RMI is dedicated to serving people, families, and communities by growing manufacturing.  Jobs in manufacturing provide livable wages that contribute immeasurably to stronger families, communities and economic growth.