# Maryland SB 0931: Public Utilities - Generating Stations - Generation and Siting (Renewable Energy Certainty Act) Maryland SB 0931, Public Utilities - Generating Stations - Generation and Siting (Renewable Energy Certainty Act), is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Brian J. Feldman (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-05-20 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 623); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0931-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maryland SB 0931 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Public Utilities - Generating Stations - Generation and Siting (Renewable Energy Certainty Act) - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-03 - Last action: 2025-05-20, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 623 - Sponsor: Brian J. Feldman (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Utility Regulation, Energy and Climate, Agriculture -see also- Agritourism; Cannabis Prd; Farm; etc., Baltimore City, Bonds -see also- County & Baltimore City Bonds; State Bonds, Boundaries, Committees and Commissions, Complaints, Conservation -see also- Soil Conservation, Construction, Contractors -see also- Construct; Electricians; etc., Counties -see also- Chartered Counties; Code Counties; etc., Credit, Easements, Electronic Communication, Electronic Government, Energy Administration, Energy Matters -see also- Fuel; NuclearMatt; PwrPlnts; etc., Environmental Incentives, Environmental Matters -see also- Conserv; Nat Resrce; Pollut, Equipment -see also- Charging; Med. Equip.; MV Equip; etc., Erosion -see also- Shore Erosion, Evidence, Farmland, Fees -see also- Attys' Fees; Devt Fees & Taxes, Fines -see also- Penalties and Sentences, Flood Control, Forests and Parks -see also- MdNatlCapPkPlnCm; Plants; etc., Forms, Hearings, Historical Matters -see also- Archives; Monumts; Museum; etc, Industry and Technology, Invasive Species -see also- Animals; Insects; Plants, Labor, Department of, Licenses -see also- AB Lic; Certifications; DrLic; Permits, Low-Income, Meetings -see also- Hearings; Open Government, Municipal Corporations -see also- Annap; Balt; Hager; OC, Natural Resources -see also- Coal; For&Pks; Rivers; etc., Natural Resources, Department of, Notices, Nuisances -see also- Noise; Weeds, Open Government, Partnerships, Permits -see also- Building Permits, Planning, Department of, Plants -see also- Invasive Species; Trees; Weeds, Postal Service, Power Plants, Prices -see also- Consumer Price Index, Procurement, Property Tax, Public Buildings and Facilities -see also- Stadiums; St Hse, Public Information, Public Service Commission, Public Works -see also- Brg&Tun; Hwys; PublBlgFac; etc., Real Property, Renewable Energy Sources -see also- Geotherm; Solar; etc., Reports, Residential Property -see also- Apartments; Condominiums, Rivers, Streams, and Lakes, Rules and Regulations, Safety -see also- Occupational Safety, Sediment Control, Soil Conservation, Solar Energy, Standards and Best Practices, Storage, Studies -see also- Commitees & Commissions; Reports, Subscriptions and Memberships, Telephones, Time, Transportation, Department of, Trees, Utilities -see also- Recycl; Refuse; Sewage; Teleph; Water, Warranties, Wholesale Distribution, Zoning and Planning - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 5 (188 yes, 112 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 19 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Stronger protections for rooftop solar customers: benefit, low. Residential rooftop solar sellers and lessors must provide a full five-year warranty covering installation and system parts, plus manufacturer warranties. They must disclose minimum expected energy production, adjusted for weather. They must also certify in writing that installation follows applica… - Community solar gains credits and options: benefit, low. For community solar systems not owned by utilities, unsubscribed energy creates banked bill credits. Subscriber organizations or coordinators can assign those credits to subscribers within one year. After that, utilities must buy the unallocated energy through their qualifying-facilities process at… - Residents get solar hearings and meetings: benefit, low. Before deciding a distributed-solar certificate application, the Commission must allow public comments and hold a hearing in each construction county. Virtual hearings are allowed only with comparable opportunities to comment and participate. Builders proposing solar stations in areas defined as ov… - Solar developers must notify emergency responders: benefit, low. Owners of proposed solar generating stations must notify emergency responders in every county where any part will be built. Notices must include a station map and planned locations of solar collectors or isolator switches. This gives responders site information for emergency planning. - Solar sites must protect land and views: benefit, low. Owners must reduce visual impacts on listed preservation areas, parks, scenic resources, and historic or heritage sites. Stations over 2 megawatts need a viewshed study with their state application; smaller stations include it with local site plans. Owners must minimize grading, keep topsoil on the… - Earlier solar projects keep prior treatment: benefit, low. Section 1 does not apply to solar construction or modification with a required state certificate application or local permit submitted before July 1, 2025. Earlier notices or meetings also satisfy Section 1’s community-engagement requirements if completed by June 30, 2025. Those notices or meetings… - New permit route for community solar: benefit, low. Eligible community solar projects can use a new distributed generation certificate to authorize construction and operation. Projects must have inverter-rated capacity above 2 megawatts and no more than 5 megawatts of alternating-current output. They must be outside an incorporated municipality and… - Local automatic solar enrollment authority removed: cost, low. The law removes local governments’ authority to create community solar programs that automatically enroll customers. It also removes the related enrollment, opt-out, billing, and utility-support provisions. This change does not itself end an identified household subscription or set a bill increase. - More solar projects face site checks: cost, low. The covered siting rules now reach qualifying solar stations over 1 megawatt, down from over 2, including aggregate net metering. Rooftop, carport, brownfield, and behind-the-meter sites are excluded from this expanded coverage. Covered stations up to 2 megawatts need local site-compliance verifica… - Solar permits face fewer local barriers: mixed, medium. Local governments must speed review of solar plans that meet the law’s requirements and generally cannot block compliant projects. Stations up to 5 megawatts, measured by inverter alternating-current rating, must be processed as permitted uses. For projects with covered state certificates, local go… - Solar neighbors get screening and lighting limits: mixed, low. Nonbarbed fencing must sit inside a landscape buffer or next to the station and cannot exceed 20 feet. Chain-link fencing needs black or green vinyl mesh and 50 feet from public road rights-of-way; critical infrastructure can use barbed wire. Required buffers cannot exceed 35 feet and must screen y… - Solar setbacks allow county agreement exceptions: mixed, low. Covered solar stations generally need 150 feet of separation from homes and 100 feet from property lines. Internal project boundaries and interconnection lines and facilities are excluded from the stated setback rules. Stations and accessory structures face a 15-foot average-height limit, except in… - Storage projects require notice, fewer meetings: mixed, low. Front-of-the-meter storage devices, which serve the grid rather than sit behind a customer’s meter, need approval before construction. Applications trigger notice to host jurisdictions, jurisdictions within 1 mile, relevant state lawmakers, and affected communities within 1 mile. The law removes th… - Farm solar gets limited siting exemptions: mixed, low. Agrivoltaic projects combine solar generation with qualifying agriculture on land maintained under Maryland’s agricultural-use standards. These projects are exempt from the specified solar site requirements. Combining solar only with beehives or pollinator habitat does not qualify as agrivoltaics. - Large solar projects face land limits: mixed, low. Ground-mounted solar stations over 5 megawatts cannot occupy specified mapped growth, residential, or residential mixed-use land designated January 1, 2025. Capacity uses the inverter’s alternating-current rating. In priority preservation areas established before January 1, 2025, approved solar acr… - Solar developers get standardized certificate reviews: mixed, low. After public notice and comment, the Power Plant Research Program must propose distributed-solar certificate standards by July 1, 2026. The Public Service Commission must adopt rules, forms, and review procedures by July 1, 2027; joint agency fees can cover administration. Applicants must send the… - Solar owners must secure landscaping and removal: mixed, low. Solar owners must post a county bond equal to 100% of landscaping costs for the first 5 years. An inspection confirming 90% plant survival releases half; the rest stays for 2 more years pending another successful inspection. Owners must also sign a decommissioning agreement with the Public Service… - Storage sites gain faster local reviews: mixed, low. Local governments cannot block compliant front-of-the-meter storage projects and must use standard processes and speed their reviews. Outside commercial or industrial locations, owners must use nonbarbed fencing no higher than 20 feet, except around critical infrastructure. Locally required buffers… - Power supply study weighs reliability and costs: mixed, low. Maryland’s Public Service Commission must study power purchase agreements, utility-supplier partnerships, and other purchasing models, reporting by December 1, 2026. The study must assess whether models add at least 100 megawatts of Maryland electricity supply recognized by regional grid operator P… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Brian J. Feldman (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-07 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 33 | 10 | 3 | | 2025-04-05 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 97 | 39 | 1 | | 2025-04-01 | Senate | Floor Amendment {743821/1 (Senator Mautz) Rejected | fail | 11 | 25 | 10 | | 2025-04-01 | Senate | Floor Amendment {963629/1 (Senator Hershey) Rejected | fail | 12 | 27 | 7 | | 2025-04-01 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 35 | 11 | | ## Actions (22) - 2025-05-20: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 623 - 2025-04-07: Passed Enrolled (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed (33-10) (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Senate Concurs House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-05: Third Reading Passed (97-39) (House) - 2025-04-04: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House) - 2025-04-03: Motion Special Order until 04/04 (Delegate Crosby) Adopted (House) - 2025-04-03: Favorable with Amendments {163720/1 Adopted (House) - 2025-04-03: Favorable with Amendments Report by Economic Matters (House) - 2025-04-02: Rereferred to Economic Matters (House) - 2025-04-02: Referred Rules and Executive Nominations (House) - 2025-04-01: Third Reading Passed (35-11) (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Floor Amendment {663325/1 (Senator Hester) Adopted (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Floor Amendment {963629/1 (Senator Hershey) Rejected (12-27) (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Floor Amendment {743821/1 (Senator Mautz) Rejected (11-25) (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Favorable with Amendments {113024/1 Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Motion Laid Over (Senator Feldman) Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Favorable with Amendments {113024/1 (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Hearing 2/28 at 1:30 p.m. (Senate) - 2025-02-03: First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-05-20: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_623_sb0931e.pdf) - Enrolled, 2025-04-07: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0931e.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-04-01: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0931t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-02-03: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0931f.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed) - HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed) - SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization (became law) - HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard (signed) ## Sources - [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_623_sb0931e.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0931e.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0931t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0931f.pdf) ## Related - [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS) - [SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0227-2025RS) - [HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0482-2025RS) - [SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0157-2025RS) - [HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1294-2025RS) - [HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0228-2025RS) - [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills) - [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0931-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).