Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op (the "Co-op") is an exciting new idea for bringing our money back home and for putting it to work creating real wealth in our local communities. It is a model for pooling substantial capital and for harnessing the power of collective buying. This model provides real value to Members by giving them discounts on sustainable energy and food products and services. It also contributes to the common good in communities by realizing the proven multiplier effect of re-circulating money in local communities and through educational initiatives. The efficient implementation of this model has the potential to create an entirely new paradigm that could help America recover from the current economic crisis, while lessening global warming and our dependence on dwindling supplies of foreign oil.

Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op has a 5 year goal of enrolling 2,000 Members and raising over $1,000,000 in working capital. Additional capital may also be raised by selling member investment certificates and non-voting preferred shares. Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op will initially focus its efforts and capital on negotiating agreements with local Suppliers of energy saving and sustainable goods and services that will provide discounts for Members and marketing fees for Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op. Capital will be initially be used for: 1. marketing to enroll new members and grow the cooperative as quickly as possible, 2. an Executive Director (“ED”) to manage the business of the Co-op, and 3.overhead expenses.

The main objective of Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op will be to provide its Members with lower energy costs through substantial discounts on energy saving and sustainable energy goods and services. The ED and Board of Directors will report to the Members of the Co-op, who will vote democratically (i.e. one member, one vote) on which sustainable products and services will provide the best Member benefits. Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op will eventually invest its capital reserves from Memberships and fees to make conservative, diversified investments that further enhance its mission and provide value to Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op Members and to their community.

Once Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op is established as a successful, foundational proof-of-concept, we will use it as a model for the implementation of the national NRG Co-op. NRG Co-op will be a national network of locally owned and controlled cooperatives ("Co-ops") with a mission to support, and contribute to the creation of, hundreds of existing and new green businesses and thousands of new green jobs in communities throughout America. The Co-ops of NRG Co-op will not be the typical food stores and credit unions of the past. They will be a “new generation” of cooperatives focused on supporting and capitalizing the businesses and projects needed for local sustainability and self-reliance for energy and food.