Celebrating 10 Big Climate Wins for Montgomery County

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What a Year!

Montgomery County is rapidly implementing our nation-leading Climate Action Plan. As 2024 comes to a close, here are 10 big climate wins to celebrate:

1

Broke ground on the nation’s largest zero-emission bus depot. The upgraded David F. Bone Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operation Center (EMTOC) will be powered by renewable energy and repower zero-emission buses to support our clean transportation goals.

2

Planted over 4,000 trees through Tree Montgomery, including 1,400 trees on Montgomery County Public School grounds to cool and green communities.

3

Was awarded over $14 million in climate grants for clean energy, energy efficiency, zero-emission transportation and more, including a $2.68 million grant from MDOT to expand Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

4

Launched a $1.5 million grant program to support community partners in pre-weatherization, electrification and climate adaptation in low- and moderate-income homes.

5

Promoted affordable solar power through Capital Area Solar Switch, with over 1,600 County households registering for installations.

6

Launched two new high-frequency Ride On Extra Bus Routes. The “lime” and “pink” routes with dedicated bus lanes and signal prioritization, now connect the Shady Grove Metrorail to the Life Science Center and Universities at Shady Grove.

7

Launched a Food Scraps Recycling program at local farmers markets. In its first year, 3,800 residents dropped off 27,000 pounds of food scraps for composting.

8

Released a Zero-Emission Bus Transition Plan to electrify the County’s bus fleet by 2035.

9

Hosted the REACH Hub groundbreaking on Earth Day. Nearly 1,000 volunteers, lawmakers and County leaders came together at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School to build the Resilience, Education, Action, Climate, Habitat (REACH) Hub, a climate resilience resource to serve 17,000+ students from 20 nearby schools.

10

Conducted a Climate Innovation Accelerator course to empower County staff with tools to tackle climate challenges creatively in their teams and for the residents they serve.

 

We could not do this without you! These successes are possible thanks to incredible partners, engaged communities and the commitment of our residents. Together, we are building a healthier, more climate-smart County.

Here’s to more progress in 2025. Wishing you a happy, healthy and sustainable New Year.

Regards,

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