The Office of Sustainable Energy is responsible for purchasing electricity, heating oil, natural gas, diesel, gasoline, steam and chilled water for City buildings, vehicles and equipment.

In order to get the lowest price for energy and to capture fuel opportunities we participate in collaborative purchasing, fuel supply contracts, and audit city utility bills.

Buy Smart
Baltimore City is part of the Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee (BRCPC). BRCPC locks in contracts for 75 percent of the annual regional purchases and buys the remaining on the spot market. This insulates the City from major swings in energy prices. Learn more at: http://www.baltometro.org/our-work/cooperative-purchasing-page.

The Office of Sustainable Energy also purchases transportation fuel. When there is an opportunity we lock in prices with fuel supply contracts.

Energy data management
The city has thousands of energy and water accounts. We scrutinize these accounts each month to identify irregularities. Ensuring the accuracy of these data is our responsibility to the taxpayers of Baltimore City.

Demand response
The City participates in the utility demand response program. When the City cuts back its draw from the electric grid during the hottest days of the year, we earn credits. This is saving the City money on our utility bills. The energy utilities support these programs to reduce demand during critical times for the electric grid.