January 6, 2015 (BALTIMORE, MD) - Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Rudolph S. Chow, P.E., today announced that the agency’s Office of Sustainable Energy has been slated to receive the Maryland Smart Energy Communities (MSEC) Award. The agency will be recognized for participation in MSEC as well as for its accomplishments and energy projects.

Recent energy projects include this summer’s installation of 63 energy upgrades in 54 City buildings located in neighborhoods from Curtis Bay to Belair-Edison to Park Heights. Lighting upgrades were made in other City buildings, including 33 Recreation and Parks buildings and 11 libraries. Energy efficient lighting improves the quality of the light, providing a better environment for children and families, while at the same time saving valuable taxpayer dollars.

“The Office of Sustainable Energy is a proactive, environmental and financial leader we can all be proud of,” said Director Chow. “The cleanest energy is energy we don’t use in the first place, and this award shows how important these energy upgrades are for all of us.”

In addition to Baltimore City, seven Maryland counties will also receive the MSEC award. They are Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Garrett, Talbot, Montgomery, Harford, and Frederick Counties. Awards will be presented on Wednesday, January 7, in a ceremony at the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Winter Conference in Cambridge, Maryland.

Baltimore City’s energy projects are led by DPW’s Office of Sustainable Energy. Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) is a non-profit and non-partisan organization that serves Maryland’s counties by articulating the needs of local government to the Maryland General Assembly.