Energy Lab – Maryland Innovation Lab

PARTNERSHIP SUCCESSES

– Using an AI-powered virtual energy assistant to simplify customer access to utility programs, unlock energy savings, enable more targeted customer support, and generate clearer insights to better focus resources and advance decarbonization.

– Exploring video based AI and real-time monitoring platforms to autonomously monitor and boost production efficiency.

– Collaborating with an AI-based logistics platform to identify business readiness gaps for the adoption of decarbonization technology.

These are just a few of the disruptive startup solutions explored and developed by our corporate partners with the Decarbonization & Affordability Lab 2025.

2025 Decarbonization and Affordability Lab Partners

Pompeian is America’s #1 olive oil brand, with a line of best-selling vinegars and a variety of cooking sprays. Farmer-owned and Baltimore-based since 1906, Pompeian is a family of olive farmers and olive oil craftsmen whose passion, expertise, and dedication bring the best-tasting, highest-quality olive oils to kitchens everywhere. Upholding the highest quality standards, Pompeian conducts daily testing through their in-house quality assurance team in the state-of-the-art Pompeian Quality Control and Research & Development Center ensuring each bottle is always at peak freshness. Inspired by heritage and tradition, Pompeian products are rooted in authenticity and crafted for quality and great taste. Learn more here.

BGE is Maryland’s largest natural gas and electric utility, providing safe and reliable energy delivery to more than 1.3 million electric customers and more than 700,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland.

The company was founded in 1816 as the nation’s first gas utility and remains headquartered in Baltimore City to this day. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), one of the nation’s largest
energy utility companies.

Engage with the latest BGE stories on bgenow.com.

Capital Logistics MD is a certified woman-owned, minority-owned transportation and infrastructure company based in Sparrows Point, Maryland. Founded in 2018, the company specializes in intermodal trucking, heavy-haul logistics, and clean energy transportation solutions. Capital Logistics is leading the transition to zero-emission freight by integrating electric vehicle (EV) fleet operations, advanced charging infrastructure, and innovative technologies like AI and smart grid systems. With a strong commitment to sustainability, equity, and community empowerment, Capital Logistics MD is redefining the future of logistics at the intersection of clean energy and digital innovation. Learn more here.

Why Maryland?

Maryland is uniquely positioned to be a hub for decarbonization innovation. With one-third of the U.S. population within an overnight drive, the state is a nexus for industry, commerce, and infrastructure. Maryland is already a leader in renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and technology adoption, making it the perfect environment for developing and scaling solutions in electrification, smart charging, and predictive safety technologies. By joining the Decarbonization Lab, you’ll be part of a movement that leverages Maryland’s resources to address global sustainability goals.

Driving Sustainable Innovation in Maryland

Climate change is one of the greatest global challenges of our time, demanding urgent action to reduce emissions and build a sustainable future. The United Nations has set ambitious goals for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and Maryland is rising to the occasion. The second Maryland innovation Lab chose to focus on Decarbonization & Affordability to support taking the lead in this transformation, bringing together industries, innovators, and policymakers to tackle decarbonisation challenges head-on.

Details of the five categories can be found below.

Divesh Gupta
Director – Clean Energy Solutions
BGE

“Through this collaboration with the Maryland Innovation Lab, we’re looking to build scalable, community-focused solutions that prioritize affordability, reliability, and sustainability, as well as support job creation and reinforce Maryland’s leadership in the clean energy transition. It’s really quite exciting.”

Decarbonization & Affordability Lab - Key Focus Areas

Net-Zero Logistics and Freight

Our goal is to transform commercial transportation to deliver both an affordable and sustainable service across Maryland.

We’re looking for solutions that are focused on enhancing decarbonization in logistics and transportation to apply to the Lab.

Some of the key areas of interest are in granular emissions tracking, measurement, and reporting; exploring cleaner, greener alternative fuels, optimizing route planning; and solutions supporting the development of commercial EV transportation.

If you have a new way to facilitate the transition to sustainable transportation, we want to hear from you.

Sustainable Operations

This category is focused on how to create efficient and low-impact business operations.

We’re after solutions that enable smarter, faster decision-making to reduce waste, optimize energy use, and support more agile, low-emission operations. We are also looking for technologies that enhance efficiency in key systems through advanced sensing, automation, real-time monitoring, and the digitization of manual workflows, especially when paired with robust data capture and analytics to generate actionable insights and inform better decision-making.

If you think you can help us work smarter and move towards more sustainable operations, apply now.

Adding Value For Our Customers

This category seeks solutions to empower our customers to take part in the energy transition in a way that is accessible and affordable. Equally we want to improve how we understand and connect with our customers so that we can deliver clear, actionable, and personalized energy-saving opportunities.

To do this, we are looking for innovative tools and approaches to communicate these opportunities in ways that are language-accessible, and tailored to different communities, ensuring no customer is left behind. At the same time, it also seeks to accelerate the safe, scalable, and accessible deployment of energy storage and other Behind-the-meter (BTM) solutions. We are looking at solutions and models that simplify adoption, reduce upfront costs, and lower barriers to technologies that can make a real difference for our customers.

We want to see any innovative solutions that can help us accelerate grid decarbonization and deliver real, lasting benefits to the people who rely on it every day

Wildcard

The Wildcard category is truly open and welcomes unconventional ideas. We’re looking for solutions that may have an indirect yet meaningful contribution to broader decarbonization efforts, and unconventional ways to drive affordability for the people of Maryland. This is your opportunity to challenge traditional perspectives and introduce bold, out-of-the-box innovations that can expand how we think about and approach decarbonization.

2025 Decarbonization and Affordability Lab Timeline

Sunday 13th July 2025

Applications Close

The startup scouting and application period for Maryland Innovation Lab closed.

20th August 2025

Pitch Day

15 of the best teams came together in Maryland to Pitch for the program sponsors and for their place of the 10 week Lab Live.

Monday 29th September 2025

Lab Live

A 10 week period of validation where L Marks led the collaboration between the corporate partners and the selected startups to create impactful use cases to advance decarbonization or affordability in Maryland.

11th December 2025

Demo Day

Teams from the Lab and the Partners came together again to assess the impact of the Lab and demonstrate the value of the startup collaborations. The showcase event presented the successes and learnings from the program.