FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 6, 2022

Contact Information: Aynsley Toews, Strategic Initiatives & Projects Officer, Facilities Management of the University of Maryland / atoews@umd.edu

UMD Announces NextGen Energy Program Private Sector Partner Finalists

The two finalists will be asked to submit final proposals that include measures to make the decarbonization of campus heating and cooling by 2035 realizable.

 

With President Darryll J. Pines accelerating plans to make the University of Maryland campus carbon-neutral by 2025, a long-term program to replace the community’s aging energy infrastructure is taking on even greater importance. A virtual campus briefing on the initiative, called the NextGen Energy Program, will take place at 12:15 p.m., May 6, 2021, hosted by Carlo Colella, vice president and chief administrative officer; Charles Reuning, associate vice president and chief facilities officer; and Scott Lupin, director of the Office of Sustainability.

The University of Maryland is redoubling its efforts to fight climate change, committing to carbon neutrality by 2025 through a mix of infrastructure improvement, electric vehicle purchases and targeted investments in sustainability. UMD President Darryll J. Pines announced the new goal, which lops a quarter century off a previous plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, during his inauguration speech last week.

In 1995, the University of Maryland (UMD) faced a difficult situation: it needed to find more than $50 million to correct an aging steam generation and electric distribution system. The university’s only option for financing was issuance of debt by the University System, Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO), or another state entity. The capital funds request was denied by the Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the university was encouraged to explore alternative options, such as a Public-Private Partnership (P3). 

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland today announced a short list of potential partners for the NextGen Energy Program. This announcement follows a recent Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to design, engineer, finance, install and maintain the university’s energy system.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland NextGen Energy Program, approved by the State of Maryland Board of Public Works at its April 22 meeting, has been designated as a public-private partnership. The NextGen Energy Program RFQ is scheduled to be published on eMaryland Marketplace on April 27, 2020.