Budget Overview
The FY26 Recommended Budget for the tax-supported Utilities NDA is $42,367,271, an increase of $5,191,621 or 14.0 percent from the FY25 Approved Budget of $37,175,650. Allocation of these utilities expenditures is approximately: electricity, 81.6 percent; natural gas, 8.7 percent; and water and sewer, 6.1 percent. Other utilities and expenses total 3.6 percent. Approximately 26.6 percent of electricity expenditures are budgeted for solar energy generated by resiliency hubs at County facilities.
The FY26 Recommended Budget includes County government utilities expenditures for both tax and non-tax supported operations. Tax-supported utilities expenditures related to the General Fund departments are budgeted in the Utilities NDA, while utilities expenditures related to special fund departments are budgeted in those funds. Some of these special funds, such as Recreation and portions of the Department of Transportation, are tax supported. Other special funds, such as Solid Waste, are supported through user fees or charges for services, instead of through taxes.
Utilities expenditures are also found in the budgets of other County agencies: Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Montgomery College, WSSC Water, and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). The total budget request for these outside agencies is $96,899,818, which includes the entire bi-county area of WSSC Water.
The FY26 Recommended tax-supported budget for utilities, including both the General Fund NDA ($42,367,271) and the other tax-supported funds ($5,346,931), is $47,714,202, an increase of $6,115,780 or 14.7 percent above the FY25 Approved Utilities Budget. The FY26 Recommended Budget for non-tax supported utilities expenditures is $4,323,152, an increase of $313,000 over the FY25 Approved Budget.
Increased utilities expenditures result primarily from greater consumption due to new facilities or services, increased use of facilities after pandemic closures, increased rates, and in some cases a more precise alignment of budgeted costs with actual prior year expenditures by utility type. Energy conservation and cost-saving measures (e.g., new building design, lighting technology, energy, and HVAC management systems) help offset increased utility consumption and higher unit costs.
Unleaded gasoline, diesel, and compressed natural gas fuels are purchased from various providers, and are budgeted in the Department of General Services Division of Fleet Management Services and not the General Fund Utilities NDA.
The Utilities NDA also includes expenses for consultant support, energy accounting software, utility performance management data analytics, and microgrids and resiliency hubs. Microgrids and resiliency hubs provide a lower carbon supply of electricity along with resilient facilities that can provide continual service to the community during major grid outages. Montgomery County leads the region in the implementation of these resilient, clean-energy facilities, with recent projects including solar microgrids at Scotland Recreation Center, Public Safety Headquarters, Montgomery County Correctional Facility, the Brookville Maintenance Facility "Brookville Smart Bus Depot," and the Animal Services and Adoption Center. Planned projects include a solar microgrid that will power green hydrogen production to support a zero-carbon emissions transit fleet, and additional resiliency hubs to support underserved communities and provide electric vehicle charging capabilities across the County.
Additionally, the Department of General Services implements programs that maximize the efficient use of energy at County facilities by initiating operational strategies, energy-efficient equipment replacements, and advanced software management controls that minimize the County's carbon footprint.
The following is a description of utility service requirements for departments that receive tax or non-tax supported appropriations for utilities expenditures. The utilities expenditures for the non-tax supported operations are appropriated within their respective operating funds but are described in the combined utilities presentation for reader convenience.
TAX SUPPORTED
Department of General Services
The Department of General Services is responsible for managing all utilities for general County operations including all County office buildings, police stations, libraries, health and social services facilities, correctional facilities, maintenance buildings, and warehouses.
Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation manages all County streetlights, traffic signals, traffic count stations, and flashing school signs. The utilities expenditures for these devices are budgeted here as this department designs, installs, controls, and maintains them. In addition, minimal utility costs for the Operations Center and Highway Maintenance Depots are budgeted in the Traffic Engineering component of the General Fund NDA.
Division of Transit Services - Mass Transit
The Department of Transportation Mass Transit Facilities Fund supports all utilities associated with the Ride On transit centers and park and ride lots.
Department of Recreation
The Department of Recreation funds all utility costs for its recreational facilities located throughout the County, such as swimming pools, community recreation centers, and senior centers.
NON-TAX SUPPORTED
Fleet Management Services
The Department of General Services - Fleet Management Services utility expenditures are displayed in the Special Fund Agencies - Non-Tax Supported section, to reflect that Fleet Management Services expenditures are appropriated in the budgets of other departments, and are not appropriated in Fleet Services.
The Department of General Services - Fleet Management Services Motor Pool Internal Service Fund supports all utilities associated with the vehicle maintenance garages in Rockville, Silver Spring, and Gaithersburg. Fuel for the County's fleet is also budgeted in that special fund, but these costs are not included in the utilities expenditures displayed in this section.
Parking Districts
The Parking Districts fund utility expenditures associated with the operation of all County-owned parking garages and parking lots.
Alcohol Beverage Services
Alcohol Beverage Services funds utility expenditures associated with the operation of the liquor warehouse, administrative offices, and the County-operated retail liquor stores.
Department of Environmental Protection, Recycling and Resource Management
Recycling and Resource Management funds utility expenditures associated with the operation of the County's Solid Waste Management System. Utilities expenditures associated with the operation of the Oaks Sanitary Landfill maintenance building, the County's Recycling Center, the Resource Recovery Facility, and most of the Solid Waste Transfer Station are currently the responsibility of the operators. Only the site office and maintenance depot costs continue to be budgeted as an identifiable utilities expenditure in the Solid Waste Disposal Fund.