Montgomery County’s Green Government Report Confirms Sustainable Operations are Strong Across County Departments

For Immediate Release: Monday, April 8, 2019

Montgomery County’s Department of General Services (DGS) has released the fiscal year (FY) 2018 Montgomery County Green Government Report. This annual report documents the County’s progress with energy efficiency, green buildings, smart growth, water conservation, biodiversity, waste reduction, green transportation, renewable resources and resiliency. 

This report highlights the progress and accomplishments of Montgomery County’s FY2018 green government initiatives which include:  

• Save $1.5 million on utilities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8,200 metric tons annually through energy efficiency upgrades to buildings since FY2013.
• Replaced over 4,300 lighting fixtures in County parking garages with light emitting diodes.
• Installed 7.6 megawatts of solar projects on County facilities, expected to save the County $10 million over the next 20 years.
• Installed 2 microgrids at key County facilities allowing critical operations to run independent of the utility grid and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 6,800 metric tons.
• Reduced petroleum consumption of County fleet by 3.5 percent compared to FY2014 levels.

“It is my pleasure to present the Annual Green Government Report, which overviews our County’s progress at the forefront of sustainability and innovation. The collective efforts of our County departments to embed green into our culture is essential to an effective and sustainable government,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “I would like to express my gratitude to our Department of General Services for their work on this report; and I commend all County departments for their initiatives to green our government operations.”

“DGS has the highest standards for sustainability, launches innovative initiatives to reduce costs, uses renewable energy, conserves energy in our buildings and fleet, and plans sustainable strategies for our future,” said Director of General Services David Dise. “While DGS is proud to lead County government sustainability efforts, we do not do it in isolation, and this report isn’t about DGS; it’s about how all County departments and agencies play a significant role in greening County government, with the DGS Office of Energy and Sustainability as the hub for these efforts.”

For more details, or to review the report go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dgs-oes.

Release ID: 19-114
Media Contact: Judy Stiles 240-777-6536