Back in February, the Maryland Public Service Commission (MPSC) approved the sale of Constellation Energy to Exelon, a Chicago based utility provider. This $7.9 billion transaction turned out to be a boon for Maryland residents, as part of the settlement required the energy company to set up a large fund dedicated to serving its clients.

A total of $113.5 million was handed over to the Commission to pay for energy efficient projects throughout the state. On August first, the MPSC received proposals from 19 groups seeking to use money from the fund to finance green projects.

"This is the first time within Maryland that the MPSC has put out a request on how to spend settlement money," said Fuel Fund Executive Director Mary Ellen Vanni in a statement to bmoremedia.com, an area news service.

The MPSC stipulates that $20 million from the settlement must go to helping lower income customers achieve energy efficiency. One applicant, the Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, plans on enhancing living facilities for underprivileged  and lower income members of the community if chosen. The Federation presented two proposals to the Commission that could potentially qualify for these allocated funds.

Vanni told the source that details on the selection process will not be made immediately available to the applicants. Also, no strict timetable has been set on when the Commission will announce the recipients of the funds, though Vannie said that successful bidders will be notified before December.

The goal of the program is to save as many Maryland residents as possible money on their monthly electric bills. To further their savings, Marylanders should get a home inspection to discover ways they could decrease the amount of energy they may be currently wasting.