Department of General Services - Clean Energy Procurement Program - Establishment

HB 1417 establishes a Clean Energy Procurement Program within Maryland's Department of General Services by January 1, 2026. The program requires the department to competitively solicit and potentially contract for biogas to replace fossil natural gas in state transportation and building operations, aiming to evaluate environmental and economic impacts. Key provisions mandate collecting natural gas usage data, conducting a lifecycle analysis of biogas (funded by the Power Plant Research Program), and analyzing costs/benefits of expanding biogas use. The program applies only if biogas is competitively priced, of sufficient quality, and available, and will terminate December 31, 2028. It directly affects state agencies managing transportation and facilities.