The Clean Water Commerce Act (CWCA) passed by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2017 Session (CH366/367) and reauthorized during the 2021 Session (CH694/695) expanded the uses of the Bay Restoration Fund to include the costs associated with the purchase of cost-effective nitrogen load reductions in support of the State’s efforts to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
Chapters 501 and 502 of the 2024 Maryland General Assembly Session, "Clean Water Commerce Account - Contracts for Purchase of Environmental Outcomes," requires the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to allow for nonuniform payment schedules when entering into a contract for a project that includes construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation. Due to this legislative change MDE is reopening the solicitation that previously closed on January 31, 2024.
The Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) invites you to send proposals by August 30, 2024 for the purchase of nitrogen reductions.
Proposals previously submitted on or before January 31, 2024 will still be considered for funding. Any proposal previously submitted that includes construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation and submitted with a uniform payment schedule may be resubmitted with a nonuniform payment schedule. Additionally, MDE is accepting new proposals that were not previously submitted during the application period that ended on January 31, 2024.
Proposals that do not include construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation should continue to use a uniform payment schedule with equal payments spread out over the length of the payment schedule. Proposals that do include construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation can use either a uniform or nonuniform payment schedule.