ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the release of the County’s Office of Community Sustainability’s (OCS) 2026 Climate Forward Annual Report. This news report highlights Howard County Government’s continued progress in implementing the strategic climate actions laid out int its June 2023 Howard County Climate Forward: Climate Action & Resiliency Plan.
Climate Forward charts a clear course to cleaner air, greener communities, and a resilient future for all of Howard County. Through innovation, collaboration, and strategic focus, we have achieved substantial gains in energy efficiency, energy independence, and clean energy deployment, while expanding electric vehicle infrastructure, strengthening watershed protection efforts, increasing tree planting, and bolstering community engagement.
The 2023 Howard County Climate Forward: Climate Action & Resiliency Plan set forth goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 60 percent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2045. The latest 2026 Climate Forward Annual Report shows that Howard County has reduced its community-wide GHG emissions by 27.5 percent from 2005 baseline levels, based on the most recent GHG data available.
The 2026 Climate Forward Annual Report highlights local governance that enabled climate action despite federal headwinds. The Howard County Council enacted Council Bill (CB) 24-2025, adopting the International Code Council’s model building codes requiring new buildings to be “electric ready,” “solar ready,” and “EV charger ready,” key areas with significant GHG emission reduction potential. In addition to the passage of CB24-2205, County departments also collaborated to develop a list of critical infrastructure and tools to prioritize the County’s infrastructure for resiliency improvements. Additionally, other climate-centered actions included:
- Updating the County’s Landscape Manual;
- Creating “Resilient HoCo,” a one-stop shop for resiliency;
- Planning for active transportation;
- Streamlining the permitting process for solar installations; and
- Finding innovative and award-winning ways to partner with local businesses on stormwater management.
Climate Forward Funding & Partnerships
During Ball’s tenure, OCS has been awarded more than $27 million in grant funding for water quality improvement, flood resiliency, energy conservation, renewable energy, tree planting, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, and other sustainability projects that support Climate Forward priorities.
In 2025 alone, OCS secured more than $8 million in grants for renewable and energy efficiency projects, primarily from Maryland Energy Administration and Maryland Department of Transportation. These grants have helped fund geothermal and other energy efficiency upgrades to County buildings, reduce fleet fuel use through EV conversion, improve resiliency of public services and the electric grid, and increase EV charging stations on County properties. Moreover, now in its second year, County staff continue to implement “Climate Action Budgeting,” which focuses limited funding toward priority climate actions.
Additionally, other Climate Forward initiatives are saving money while reducing emissions, including the County’s August 2025 partnership with Howard Community College and the Howard County Public School System, which led to the 2026 signing of a joint Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that will add further energy cost savings to the estimated $90 million being saved under the County’s monumental 2020 solar PPA.
Climate Action Achievements & Milestones
The release of this annual report details forward progress in each of eight climate mitigation and resiliency focus areas:
- Energy – New solar installations doubled compared to Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, with the addition of 24 megawatts (MW) of residential and seven megawatts of commercial solar, bringing the total solar capacity in the county to 181 MW. This keeps the County on track to reach its Climate Forward goal of 437 MW of solar capacity by 2030.
- Nature-Based Climate Solutions – Together, County departments and community stakeholders collaborated in the development of the Howard County Landscape Manual, published in February 2026. The latest manual provides modern, climate-smart guidance for creating landscapes that are more resilient, attractive, and environmentally responsible. The manual was developed for use by residents, developers, landscape professionals and County staff to ensure that new development contributes to a greener, healthier, and more climate-resilient county.
- Transportation – As of June 2026, nearly six percent of vehicles registered in Howard County are electrified (plug-in electric). To further encourage EV adoption, the County added 15 new EV chargers to County properties in the past year, bringing the total number of chargers in Howard County to 130 (a mix of public, employee, and fleet chargers).
- Waste – Following the County’s Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Environmental Services’ (BES) “Feed the Green Bin” curbside food scrap collection program, County’s Department of General Services and Office of Agriculture’s Roving Radish kitchen have implemented onsite food scrap collection programs. Additionally, County run events also now feature compost bins for food waste collection. Combined, these practices reduce the potent methane emissions that come from landfilling organic waste and create BES’s valuable soil amendment, HoCoGro compost.
- Emergency Preparedness – As risks from climate change impacts increase:
- OCS created Resilient HoCo, a virtual one-stop-shop that connects residents with information on climate readiness and best practices for resilience.
- The County worked to increase public awareness of warming and cooling centers through a dedicated “Warming and Cooling Center Information” webpage, through social media posts on the County’s main Facebook and X accounts, and as a sitewide banner on the County’s website.
- The County also completed feasibility studies and secured $4.25 million to upgrade and transform the Gary J. Arthur and North Laurel Community Centers into resiliency hubs through solar and battery storage to supply electricity during extended grid outages. These upgrades will enable each facility to remain open for residents in need of a place to warm up or cool off, to refrigerate temperature sensitive medications, and charge electronic devices.
- Water - The County’s Commercial Watershed Protection Partnership delivered cost-savings and water quality improvements through an innovative and award-winning Public-Private Partnership (P3) project with the Troy Hill Business Park Management Association. This P3 project not only upgraded three stormwater ponds to reduce stormwater pollution and improve community flood resilience, but it is also saving the management association $160,000 per year in operational costs and the County more than $2 million in one-time construction costs.
- Infrastructure and Heat Resiliency – To address the impacts of heat waves and hotter average temperatures, the County is planting trees and installing shade structures in areas with populations most vulnerable to heat impacts.
- The County won more than $250,000 in grant funding for 850 targeted tree plantings in heat vulnerable and underserved communities over the past three years.
- In just the last year alone, the County’s Department of Recreation & Parks has installed 21 new shade structures on playgrounds, over gathering areas, and next to pickleball courts at Rockburn Branch Park in Elkridge, Blandair Regional Park in Columbia, Centennial Park – West in Ellicott City, and Robinson Nature Center in Columbia.
- Recreation & Parks is incorporating shade structures into new capital projects at its parks and plans to add shade structures to existing facilities each year, including at least six at existing parks in FY 2027.
- Ecosystem Services – The County made further progress toward Ball’s 2030 goal of achieving 50 percent tree canopy coverage by planting 56,300 native tree seedlings across its two-year partnership with Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Under Ball’s leadership since December 2018, the County has planted more than 170,000 trees. In addition, the County planted three “tiny forests” at Rockburn Branch Park, Robinson Nature Center, and West Friendship Park, featuring 1,485 native trees and shrubs, as well as 240 native grasses and flowering plants. These dense plantings, varied structures, and diversity of species offer habitat, climate, and resiliency benefits to these areas of the county.
To track the County’s progress towards reaching its climate goals, visit OCS's “Howard County Climate Forward” website. To learn more about what actions are most impactful to address the climate crisis and access related resources, visit the site’s “Engaging the Community in Climate Action” page via the “What Can You Do” tab.