The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) announced today that the City's Energy Office is now a division of DPW, creating the Office of Sustainable Energy.

 

This new DPW office will work to help the agency reduce energy consumption at its water plants and trash collection operations, as well as continue the citywide effort of identifying energy cost savings for the City of Baltimore. In addition, the office will take a long-term look at reducing the City’s dependence on public electric utility.

 

“The Office of Sustainable Energy will continue to help the City of Baltimore and DPW focus on buying energy more wisely, using less of it, and generating its own energy,” said DPW Director Rudolph S. Chow, P.E.

 

The Energy Office’s responsibilities include purchasing electricity, heating oil, natural gas, diesel gasoline, and steam for City buildings, vehicles and equipment. DPW accounts for more than 50 percent of the City's energy expenses, due mainly to costs of electricity to operate water and wastewater treatment plants, and fuel to run trash trucks and other Solid Waste vehicles. In 2014, the City spent nearly $57 million on energy, including energy for buildings and vehicles.

 

Before joining DPW, the Energy Office was part of the Department of General Services. "In the last 10 years the Baltimore City Energy Office has helped save the City millions of dollars, and decreased its reliance on electricity and fossil fuel," said DGS Director Steve Sharkey.

 

Due to the Energy Office's efforts, between 2009 and 2014 the City's electricity costs dropped by 15 percent, generating $6.5 million in savings. Ted Atwood, who served as chief of the Energy Office during those years, will lead the DPW Office of Sustainable Energy. “Our efforts are a combination of buying smart, using less, and generating more economically,” he said.

 

The mission will continue to be a citywide resource looking for opportunities to reduce energy consumption and save on operating costs, and devise innovative approaches to manage the City’s dependence on electricity.

 

One recent Energy Office project supported the development of a solar plant at DPW’s Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant, where a 1 megawatt combined heat and power system was installed. The Back River Plant processes 180 million gallons of wastewater each day, an effort that accounts for 18 percent of the City's electricity use.