LEONARDTOWN — St. Mary’s County is about to find out how much energy its libraries, courthouse and office buildings are wasting, and it is using state money to pay for most of the answer.
The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County on Oct. 20 approved a budget amendment that moves $97,910 into the Department of Recreation and Parks to pay for detailed, level-two energy audits of county buildings. The money, previously set aside for audits under the Department of Public Works and Transportation, now serves as the county’s match for a roughly $1.07 million state grant from the Maryland Energy Administration. Commissioners approved it by voice vote.
Recreation and Parks Director Ray Bivens told commissioners the audits will cover major buildings including the county’s libraries, the courthouse and the Chesapeake and Potomac buildings on the Governmental Center campus. Because the planned audits were rolled into the larger grant, he said, the county will now also be able to audit buildings such as recreation centers and some museums.
The state program behind it
The grant comes from the Maryland Energy Administration’s Local Government Energy Modernization program, known as L-GEM. The program was a one-time, roughly $64 million offering for fiscal 2026 that replaced the state’s Smart Energy Communities program, according to a Maryland Association of Counties summary published when applications opened. Only counties and incorporated towns and cities could apply.
The agency’s award list shows St. Mary’s received two formula block grants: $171,507 for energy efficiency and $904,735 for renewable energy, a combined $1,076,242. Calvert County received identical amounts. Charles County’s awards were larger.
| County | Energy efficiency | Renewable energy | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Mary’s | $171,507 | $904,735 | $1,076,242 |
| Calvert | $171,507 | $904,735 | $1,076,242 |
| Charles | $208,886 | $1,101,917 | $1,310,803 |
Bivens said the renewable side of the grant puts the county in line for a solar project at a recreation facility. He said an earlier energy audit of the county’s gymnastics center helped the county apply for the larger grant.
What the audits are for
One commissioner asked the practical question: once an audit says a building uses too much energy, what then? Bivens said Public Works and Transportation leads the follow-up, and that fixes range from small items such as insulation, windows and ceilings to larger projects. Having an audit on file, he said, also helps the county compete for more grant money.
A level-two audit goes beyond a walk-through, typically breaking down where a building uses energy and estimating the cost and savings of specific improvements. The county did not say how much it spends each year to power and heat its buildings or what savings it expects.
Bivens said the goal is to cut the county’s energy costs and bring in newer technology. The amendment reduces the county’s fiscal 2027 capital reserve by $97,910 and authorizes the commission president to sign related documents.
The energy item was one of several grant actions at the Oct. 20 meeting. Commissioners the same morning approved a $170,522 agreement using opioid settlement money to pay for addiction treatment staff at the county jail.
