James Cobb

This Annual Report details the Strategic Energy Investment Fund's (SEIF) activities for Fiscal Year 2025, administered by the Maryland Energy Administration. It outlines various programs and initiatives focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy deployment, and transportation electrification. Key objectives include reducing energy bills, minimizing energy waste, creating jobs, improving reliability and resiliency, and significantly decreasing carbon dioxide emissions. The report emphasizes addressing energy access and equity issues for low-to-moderate income residents and underserved communities, while also covering future programming considerations and leveraging federal funding opportunities.

The Maryland Liquid Fuels Plan is designed to guide the Maryland Energy Administration in preparing for and responding to liquid fuel disruptions. It focuses on understanding the state's fuel supply and demand, identifying vulnerabilities within the supply chain, establishing emergency planning and response protocols, and implementing effective crisis communications. The plan aims to ensure the timely delivery of fuel, maintain public safety, and support the state's economy during emergencies by coordinating efforts across government levels and with private sector partners.

The Maryland Energy Assurance Plan (EAP) serves as a comprehensive roadmap for the State of Maryland to prepare for, respond to, and recover from energy emergencies. Its overarching goal is to foster a more resilient energy infrastructure capable of quick recovery from disruptions. The plan provides an overview of Maryland's interdependent energy landscape, guides investments in energy infrastructure, analyzes emergency roles and responsibilities of various actors, and offers background information for developing specific procedural energy emergency plans. Key focus areas include assessing risks to critical energy infrastructure, outlining mitigation and response strategies, facilitating rapid restoration, and enhancing public awareness regarding energy emergencies.

The meeting included opening remarks from Paul Pinsky, an overview of the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, a review of financials by Jimmy Cobb, and a highlight of programmatic efforts funded through the SE by Eric Kaufman. The board discussed the mission of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) to provide clean, affordable, and reliable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They also discussed the challenges of energy production in Maryland, including the state's reliance on imported energy and the limitations on renewable energy sources. The potential for the legislature to use SE funds for budget balancing and ratepayer relief was also addressed.

The document outlines the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (SEIF) established in 2008 to implement the Strategic Energy Investment Program. The fund is used for cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation programs, renewable and clean energy resources, climate change programs, and initiatives to reduce electricity consumption by low- to moderate-income (LMI) customers. Revenue sources for the SEIF include the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auctions, Alternative Compliance Payments (ACP) from Maryland's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), and Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) orders. The funds are allocated to various purposes, including low-income energy assistance, energy efficiency projects, clean energy initiatives, and administrative costs, with a focus on benefiting overburdened and underserved communities.