§ 7-306.2. Community Solar Energy Generating System Pilot Program
West's Annotated Code of MarylandPublic UtilitiesEffective: October 1, 2023
Effective: October 1, 2023
MD Code, Public Utilities, § 7-306.2
§ 7-306.2. Community Solar Energy Generating System Pilot Program
(20) “Virtual net energy metering” means measurement of the difference between the kilowatt-hours or value of electricity that is supplied by an electric company and the kilowatt-hours or value of electricity attributable to a subscription to a community solar energy generating system and fed back to the electric grid over the subscriber's billing period, as calculated under the tariffs established under subsections (e)(2), (f)(2), and (g)(2) of this section.
(b) The General Assembly finds that:
(c) A community solar energy generating system, subscriber, subscriber organization, or subscription coordinator is not:
(d)(1)(i) The Commission shall establish and maintain a Community Solar Energy Generating Systems Program.
(7) Any unsubscribed energy generated by a community solar energy generating system that is not owned by an electric company shall be purchased under the electric company's process for purchasing the output from qualifying facilities at the amount it would have cost the electric company to procure the energy.
(13)(i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, a community solar energy generating system may not be located on the same or an adjacent parcel of land as an existing or proposed community solar energy generating system if the total installed capacity of all community solar energy generating systems on the same or adjacent parcel would exceed 5 megawatts.
(iv) The fee for consolidated billing assessed to a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may not exceed the fee that was in effect when the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator elected for the community solar energy generating system represented by the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator to participate in consolidated billing.
(19) In constructing or operating a community solar energy generating system, a person shall address critical area, climate resilience, and forest conservation concerns by complying with the Forest Conservation Act and other relevant State and local environmental laws and regulations pertaining to the critical area, climate resilience, and forest conservation.
(e) On or before May 15, 2016, the Commission shall adopt regulations to implement this section, including regulations for:
(f)(1) Subject to subsection (h) of this section, to implement the Program, the Commission shall, on or before January 1, 2025, adopt revisions to the regulations adopted under subsection (e) of this section for the pilot program, including revisions that:
(i) remove all Program categories, project generating capacity limits, yearly programmatic and electric company-specific capacity limits, and sunset dates so that the total number and capacity of community solar energy generating systems is subject only to the overall limitation for all net metering projects established under § 7-306(d) of this subtitle;
(g)(1) Subject to subsection (h) of this section, on or before July 1, 2025, the Commission shall adopt regulations that:
(h) The Commission shall convene a stakeholder workgroup to provide recommendations regarding the regulations to be adopted by the Commission under subsections (f) and (g) of this section.
(i) The Commission shall consider and implement methodologies to allow the tenants of master-metered residential facilities to participate in the Program and benefit directly from any associated electric bill savings.
(j)(1) Subject to regulations or orders of the Commission, a contract relating to a community solar energy generating system, subscriber organization, or subscription coordinator that is entered into during the pilot program or the Program shall remain in effect according to the terms of the contract, including after the termination of the pilot program or the Program.
(k) The cumulative installed nameplate capacity under the pilot program and the Program shall count toward the overall limitation for all net metering projects established under § 7-306(d) of this subtitle.
(l)(1)(i) A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may not require an LMI subscriber to undergo a credit check or pay a sign-up fee to subscribe to a community solar energy generating system.
(3)(i) A community solar energy generating system constructed under the pilot program in a category requiring that at least 30% of its kilowatt-hour output serve low-income or moderate-income subscribers shall continue to serve at least 30% of its kilowatt-hour output to low-income or moderate-income subscribers.
(ii) A community solar energy generating system constructed under the pilot program in a category requiring that at least 51% of its kilowatt-hour output serve low-income or moderate-income subscribers shall continue to serve at least 51% of its kilowatt-hour output to low-income or moderate-income subscribers.
(m)(1) A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may not charge:
(n) The developer of a community solar energy generating system with a generating capacity over 1 megawatt, as measured in alternating current, shall ensure that workers are paid not less than the prevailing wage rate determined under Title 17, Subtitle 2 of the State Finance and Procurement Article, unless the community solar energy generating system is subject to a project labor agreement that:
Credits
Added by Acts 2015, c. 346, § 1, eff. July 1, 2015; Acts 2015, c. 347, § 1, eff. July 1, 2015. Amended by Acts 2019, c. 461, § 1, eff. June 1, 2019; Acts 2019, c. 462, § 1, eff. June 1, 2019; Acts 2021, c. 265, § 1, eff. July 1, 2022; Acts 2021, c. 266, § 1, eff. July 1, 2022; Acts 2021, c. 271, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 272, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 449, § 2, eff. June 1, 2021; Acts 2022, c. 581, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2022; Acts 2022, c. 734, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2022; Acts 2022, c. 735, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2022; Acts 2023, c. 458, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2023. Acts 2023, c. 652, § 1, eff. July 1, 2023.
MD Code, Public Utilities, § 7-306.2, MD PUBLIC UTIL § 7-306.2
Current through legislation effective through April 9, 2023, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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