This year’s program, on April 28 and 29, is shaping up to be our most comprehensive yet.

Whether your focus is BEPS compliance, decarbonization, energy management, or building modernization, the Summit offers the tools and expertise to help you take the next step. Through hands-on learning, engaging sessions, and access to solution providers, you’ll gain strategies you can put into practice right away.

Top Reasons to Attend:

• Expert-led sessions covering electrification, operations, and compliance
• The new Let’s Decarbonize! A Hands-on Building Decarbonization Workshop
• A robust Innovation Alley and Loft featuring leading service and technology providers
• Networking with 300+ building owners, managers, and industry professionals
• One-on-one support from staff at the BEPS Solutions Desk presented by TouchstoneIQ
• Actionable strategies you can apply immediately to real buildings

Register Before the Summit Sells Out!

Join DEP, in partnership with Bethesda Green, for the first session in our educational series focused on helping condominium communities understand and navigate energy performance requirements. This session will introduce the fundamentals of benchmarking and Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) and outline what both building leaders and individual unit owners need to know.

Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Time: 7pm-8:30pm

 In this session, we’ll cover:

• What benchmarking is and why it’s required
• What information is—and is not—reported in annual energy tracking
• An introduction to BEPS and how it applies to condominiums
• What actions the building can and should take
• What actions unit owners can and should take
• Key timelines and available compliance pathways
• County-level support resources, including benchmarking assistance and building assessments

 Whether you’re a board member, property manager, or interested resident, this session will provide the foundational knowledge you need to guide your condominium community toward compliance and improved energy performance.

 This will be a hybrid meeting. Please RSVP to attend in person or contact sharon@bethesdagreen.org to receive the Zoom link.

A recent commentary highlights a significant legal milestone: three separate court decisions affirm state and local governments’ authority to enact building performance standards (BPS) and other decarbonization regulations.

Judges dismissed a lawsuit challenging Maryland’s BPS, ruling it does not conflict with the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) as well as the Montgomery County and the D.C. laws mandating building-code amendments to require the use of high-efficiency electric appliances in most new construction 

Check out DEP’s Green Job Portal for open positions in climate and sustainability jobs! 

Local News

Coverage of the Maryland General Assembly Utility RELIEF Act

• Maryland Senate passes energy bill, setting up clash with the House (Maryland Matters)
• Contractors, customers worried by cuts to Maryland energy efficiency rebates (Maryland Matters)

Maryland Supreme Court dismisses climate lawsuits from Baltimore and Annapolis (Maryland Matters)

Pepco Holdings CEO talks rising demand, affordability and PJM market reforms (Utility Dive)

Pepco, part of Exelon, is seeking approval from the Maryland Public Service Commission for a $11.73/month average rate increase, citing infrastructure upgrades like substation modernization and underground cable replacements. Virtual hearings are set for April 14 and 17, with a PSC decision due by August 10 (The Banner Montgomery)

Virginia set to enact a flurry of laws boosting cleaner, cheaper power (Canary Media). One such law allowing balcony solar in Virginia (Canary Media).

Other News

Wind and solar continue to grow in the US and internationally:

• Wind and solar generated a record 17% of U.S. electricity in 2025 (EIA)
• The world built more solar and wind than ever in 2025 (Canary Media)
  

Better grid utilization could help customers save costs, enable growth, and support electrification:

• Using more of the grid we’ve already built (Volts)
• Better grid utilization could save customers $170B: Brattle report (Utility Dive)

ENERGY STAR at the Crossroads: What the MOA Means for the Future of the Program (Alliance to Save Energy)

What to Consider When Taking on a Lighting Upgrade Project (Facilities Net)

A Powerful Change Supporting Cleaner Energy (POWER Mag)