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MarylandHB 10362025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Public Utilities - Generating Stations - Generation and Siting (Renewable Energy Certainty Act)

Sponsored By: C. T. Wilson (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

Utility RegulationEnergy and ClimateAgriculture -see also- Agritourism; Cannabis Prd; Farm; etc.Baltimore CityBonds -see also- County & Baltimore City Bonds; State BondsBoundariesBuilding PermitsClassifications and DesignationsCommittees and CommissionsComplaintsConservation -see also- Soil ConservationConstructionContractors -see also- Construct; Electricians; etc.Contracts -see also- ProcurementCounties -see also- Chartered Counties; Code Counties; etc.CreditEasementsElectronic CommunicationElectronic GovernmentEnergy AdministrationEnergy Matters -see also- Fuel; NuclearMatt; PwrPlnts; etc.Environmental IncentivesEnvironmental Matters -see also- Conserv; Nat Resrce; PollutEquipment -see also- Charging; Med. Equip.; MV Equip; etc.Erosion -see also- Shore ErosionFarmlandFees -see also- Attys' Fees; Devt Fees & TaxesFines -see also- Penalties and SentencesFlood ControlForests and Parks -see also- MdNatlCapPkPlnCm; Plants; etc.FormsHearingsInvasive Species -see also- Animals; Insects; PlantsLabor, Department ofLicenses -see also- AB Lic; Certifications; DrLic; PermitsLow-IncomeMaps and ChartsMeetings -see also- Hearings; Open GovernmentMunicipal Corporations -see also- Annap; Balt; Hager; OCNatural Resources -see also- Coal; For&Pks; Rivers; etc.Natural Resources, Department ofNoticesNuisances -see also- Noise; WeedsOpen GovernmentPermits -see also- Building PermitsPlanning, Department ofPlants -see also- Invasive Species; Trees; WeedsPostal ServicePower PlantsPrices -see also- Consumer Price IndexProcurementProperty TaxPublic Buildings and Facilities -see also- Stadiums; St HsePublic InformationPublic Service CommissionPublic Works -see also- Brg&Tun; Hwys; PublBlgFac; etc.Renewable Energy Sources -see also- Geotherm; Solar; etc.ReportsResidential Property -see also- Apartments; CondominiumsRules and RegulationsSafety -see also- Occupational SafetySediment ControlSoil ConservationSolar EnergyStandards and Best PracticesStorageStudies -see also- Commitees & Commissions; ReportsSubscriptions and MembershipsSunsetTelephonesTimeTransportation, Department ofTreesUtilities -see also- Recycl; Refuse; Sewage; Teleph; WaterWarrantiesWholesale DistributionZoning and Planning

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

19 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 3 costs, 10 mixed.

Unused community solar credits stay available

For community solar systems not owned by an electric company, unsubscribed energy creates banked bill credits. The subscriber group or coordinator can assign these credits to subscribers within 1 year after creation. After that deadline, the electric company must buy the associated generation through its qualifying-facility process at its procurement cost. The law does not specify the value of each subscriber’s credits.

New protections for rooftop solar buyers

Sellers and lessors of residential rooftop solar systems must provide a full 5-year warranty covering installation and parts. They must include manufacturer warranties and disclose the minimum energy output buyers can expect, adjusted for weather. They must also certify compliance with applicable workmanship laws and minimum component design standards. Violations carry fines of up to $1,000 each; these are not payments to buyers.

Earlier solar applications keep transition protections

The law took effect July 1, 2025, but its Section 1 requirements do not apply to qualifying earlier solar applications. The exemption covers construction or modification when a state certificate application or required local permit application was submitted before that date. The law also protects obligations and contract rights already in existence from being impaired.

Faster local approvals for compliant solar

Local governments generally cannot ban covered solar stations or reject site plans that meet the law’s requirements, subject to statutory exceptions. They must speed up review and approval of compliant plans. Stations rated at 5 megawatts or less by inverter alternating-current output receive permitted-use processing. Local governments retain authority over required local permits and must act within a reasonable time. They cannot make those permits depend on conditional-use, special-exception, or floating-zone approval, and conflicting local law is preempted.

Fewer local barriers for grid storage

The construction-approval rule addressed here now applies only to front-of-the-meter storage, which serves the grid rather than a customer’s meter. It no longer applies to energy storage devices generally. Local governments cannot ban front-of-the-meter projects or deny site plans that meet the section’s requirements. They must speed up review and use standard review and approval processes. The Public Service Commission can waive or change covered storage notice, review, and site requirements for good cause.

State maps public land for solar

Maryland’s natural resources agency must work with energy, transportation, and planning agencies to identify state-owned land suitable for solar. The public SMARTDG+ mapping tool must include suitable state land by December 1, 2025. The agencies must complete an analysis of state-owned land by December 1, 2026, to support Maryland’s solar commitments.

Local automatic solar enrollment authority ends

The law removes local governments’ authority under the repealed provisions to create automatic community solar enrollment programs. Those provisions covered guaranteed bill-credit discounts, opt-outs, and electric-company support. This repeal does not state that current subscribers automatically lose their credits.

Solar owners must fund required bonds

Covered solar owners must post a county bond equal to 100% of landscaping costs for the first five years. After five years, an inspection confirming 90% plant survival allows release of half; the rest stays for two more years. A further inspection must confirm continued compliance before final release. Owners must also sign a decommissioning agreement with the Public Service Commission and post a surety bond. That bond cannot exceed 125% of estimated future removal costs for the station and related infrastructure, net of salvage value. Owners must update the decommissioning bond calculation every five years.

New license for rooftop solar contractors

The Maryland Department of Labor must create a special license for people who install or maintain residential rooftop solar systems. It must also set minimum qualifications for this work. The law does not specify the qualifications, license fees, or a deadline for creating the license.

Location limits for larger solar projects

Ground-mounted solar stations above 5 megawatts cannot occupy certain land based on its designation as of January 1, 2025. Covered land includes Tier 1 or Tier 2 mapped local growth areas, medium- or high-density residential areas, and mixed-use areas with homes. Capacity is measured by inverter alternating-current rating. In priority preservation areas established before January 1, 2025, qualifying approved solar stations can cover no more than 5% of acreage. Stations must be within the project area and meet statutory requirements. Once the cap is reached, the specified prohibitions no longer apply to the remaining 95%, and the county must notify the Commission.

More advance notice for solar neighbors

Distributed solar certificate applicants must send the county their application at least 30 days before filing with the Commission. They must send the Power Plant Research Program a copy when filing. Proposed solar stations in areas considered both overburdened and underserved require at least two public meetings to collect and address feedback. Meetings must be in the county and within 10 miles, or as close as practical when no suitable venue exists. Agrivoltaics are exempt from the two-meeting requirement. Qualifying notices or meetings completed by June 30, 2025, through an existing approval process satisfy the transition rule for overburdened or underserved communities.

Solar owners must protect views and soil

Covered solar applications must analyze views from listed scenic, historic, recreation, and preservation places, and owners must reduce visual impacts. Required screens cannot exceed 35 feet in width and must provide four-season screening, achieved within five years. Owners must preserve existing trees where practical, install screening before activation, and maintain at least 90% plant survival throughout operation. They must minimize grading, preserve topsoil, use native or noninvasive naturalized vegetation, and limit mowing and unnecessary landscaping. Herbicides are allowed only for invasive-species control under Maryland’s Weed Control Program. Agrivoltaics are exempt, and documented county siting agreements can relax visual-screening restrictions.

Solar sites face distance and height limits

Covered solar sites generally need 150 feet from a home’s nearest wall and 100 feet from applicable property lines. Setbacks run to the nearest array or equipment; grid-connection tie lines and facilities are exempt. Sites need specified nonbarbed fencing, and arrays and related facilities cannot occupy public road rights-of-way, except for grid-connection equipment. Visible nighttime lighting is barred unless required by law or needed for safety or emergencies. Stations and related structures generally cannot average more than 15 feet tall; needed grid-connection equipment and stations sharing land with agriculture are exempt. Agrivoltaics are exempt from the covered setback rules, and documented county siting agreements can allow less strict restrictions.

Storage neighbors gain notice and meetings

For proposed front-of-the-meter storage, the Commission must give immediate notice or require the applicant to do so. Notice goes to specified local governments, legislators, and affected communities within 1 mile. In areas considered both overburdened and underserved, the Commission must require applicants to hold at least two community meetings. The meeting requirement does not apply inside an existing electricity generating station.

Community solar gets another approval route

Eligible community solar projects outside municipalities can use a new distributed generation certificate instead of the usual state certificate. Projects must exceed 2 megawatts but not 5 megawatts, measured by the inverter’s alternating-current rating. Developers must obtain the certificate before construction. State utility and natural resources officials can jointly set application fees to cover administrative costs, based on expected annual applications. Rooftop community solar systems are excluded from generating-station treatment under the classification provision, regardless of capacity.

More solar projects face site checks

Siting rules now cover qualifying wholesale, community solar, and aggregate net-metering stations above 1 megawatt, down from above 2 megawatts. Rooftop, carport, brownfields, and behind-the-meter stations are excluded. Covered stations of 2 megawatts or less need local verification of site compliance before construction. Larger covered stations need the applicable state approval and all required local permits. Applicants must document site and decommissioning compliance; covered local site plans at 2 megawatts or less need the same evidence. State certificate review must consider site compliance, and distributed generation certificates must require applicable local permits, including stormwater, erosion-control, building, and electrical permits.

State sets standard solar approval rules

The Power Plant Research Program must seek public comment and propose standard solar siting, design, and licensing rules. Its proposals are due to the Public Service Commission by July 1, 2026. The standards address environmental protection, stormwater, public safety, grid connections, and related site requirements. The Commission must adopt implementing rules by July 1, 2027, including application procedures and a time limit for the Program’s determination.

Storage sites face capped design requirements

Covered front-of-the-meter storage outside commercial or industrial locations needs nonbarbed fencing no higher than 20 feet. Barbed wire is allowed around substations and other critical infrastructure. Locally required landscape screens must provide four-season coverage and cannot exceed 25 feet in depth; local governments cannot require berms. Owners must minimize grading and keep topsoil on the property. Herbicides are allowed only for invasive-species control under Maryland’s Weed Control Program.

Solar station tax exemption ends

The law removes the statutory exemption for solar stations from real and personal property taxes. Any resulting tax depends on applicable tax rules and the station’s assessed value. It also removes the specific authority allowing local governments to require payments instead of taxes of up to $5,000 per megawatt generated. No replacement payment is specified.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • C. T. Wilson

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

  • Brian M. Crosby

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 326 • No: 534

Senate vote • 4/7/2025

Third Reading Passed

Yes: 35 • No: 11 • Other: 1

House vote • 4/5/2025

Third Reading Passed

Yes: 97 • No: 40

House vote • 4/4/2025

Floor Amendment {693126/1 (Delegate Ghrist) Rejected

Yes: 38 • No: 97 • Other: 3

House vote • 4/4/2025

Floor Amendment {213622/1 (Delegate Ghrist) Rejected

Yes: 39 • No: 98 • Other: 1

House vote • 4/4/2025

Floor Amendment {983526/1 (Delegate Chisholm) Rejected

Yes: 40 • No: 95 • Other: 3

House vote • 4/4/2025

Floor Amendment (Delegate Ghrist) Rejected

Yes: 38 • No: 98 • Other: 2

House vote • 4/4/2025

Floor Amendment {823823/1 (Delegate Ghrist) Rejected

Yes: 39 • No: 95 • Other: 4

Actions Timeline

  1. Approved by the Governor - Chapter 624

    5/20/2025

  2. Returned Passed

    4/7/2025House

  3. Third Reading Passed (35-11)

    4/7/2025Senate

  4. Second Reading Passed

    4/7/2025Senate

  5. Favorable Adopted

    4/7/2025Senate

  6. Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

    4/7/2025Senate

  7. Rereferred to Education, Energy, and the Environment

    4/5/2025Senate

  8. Referred Rules

    4/5/2025Senate

  9. Third Reading Passed (97-40)

    4/5/2025House

  10. Motion Vote Previous Question (Delegate J. Lewis) Adopted

    4/5/2025House

  11. Second Reading Passed with Amendments

    4/4/2025House

  12. Floor Amendment {983526/1 (Delegate Chisholm) Rejected (40-95)

    4/4/2025House

  13. Floor Amendment {213622/1 (Delegate Ghrist) Rejected (39-98)

    4/4/2025House

  14. Floor Amendment {823823/1 (Delegate Ghrist) Rejected (39-95)

    4/4/2025House

  15. Floor Amendment {693126/1 (Delegate Ghrist) Rejected (38-97)

    4/4/2025House

  16. Floor Amendment (Delegate Ghrist) Rejected (38-98)

    4/4/2025House

  17. Motion Vote Previous Question (Delegate J. Lewis) Adopted

    4/4/2025House

  18. Floor Amendment {113822/1 (Delegate Ghrist)

    4/4/2025House

  19. Motion Special Order until 04/04 (Delegate Crosby) Adopted

    4/3/2025House

  20. Favorable with Amendments {403123/1 Adopted

    4/3/2025House

  21. Favorable with Amendments Report by Economic Matters

    4/3/2025House

  22. Hearing 2/28 at 1:30 p.m.

    2/10/2025House

  23. First Reading Economic Matters

    2/5/2025House

Bill Text

  • Enacted

    5/20/2025

    PDF

  • Third Reading

    4/4/2025

    PDF

  • First Reading

    2/5/2025

    PDF

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