HB 1607 removes a restriction preventing community solar projects from being placed on adjacent parcels if their combined capacity exceeded 5 megawatts. It allows such projects on adjacent land if the total capacity stays under 10 megawatts, provided at least 75% of the energy serves low- or moderate-income subscribers, or the site uses agrivoltaics (combining solar with agriculture). This directly affects community solar developers and property owners seeking to expand solar installations on connected properties. The bill maintains existing exceptions (like rooftop or industrial sites) while adding new conditions to support equitable access for underserved communities.
SB 599 establishes two grant programs to reduce wasted food and promote organics recycling. The On-Farm Organics Diversion Grant Program (starting July 2028) provides funding for farmers, urban agricultural producers, nonprofits, and businesses to develop composting, food rescue, and wasted food prevention projects on farms. The Wasted Food Reduction Grant Program (under the Environment Department) funds infrastructure, education, and community projects statewide to redirect edible food, recover waste for animal feed, and create compost. Eligible projects must reduce food waste, support community needs, prioritize underserved areas, and create jobs with fair wages. The bill specifically prioritizes projects that minimize contamination in compost and meet U.S. composting standards.
HB 1071 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to create regulations and a model ordinance for local stormwater management programs to enforce rules on agricultural land. It mandates that local programs must work with soil conservation districts to implement these rules and specifies that farm-related uses (like on-farm processing) must be clearly distinguished from commercial development in stormwater regulations. The bill also adds flexibility for enforcing stormwater management on agricultural land, rather than applying standard commercial development rules. This directly affects farmers, local governments, and soil conservation districts by changing how agricultural land is regulated under stormwater management.
HB 405 prevents condo and HOA governing bodies from unreasonably blocking electric vehicle (EV) charger installations in common or limited common use parking areas. It requires boards to follow regular budget processes and confirm sufficient parking availability before installing chargers. The law also allows boards to grant 3-year renewable licenses for necessary common elements (like electrical supply) for EV equipment. This applies retroactively to existing restrictions and takes effect October 1, 2026, directly affecting condo/HOA communities and their residents.
SB 225 designates specific watersheds - including Gwynns Falls, Jones Falls, Herring Run (covering Baltimore City and Baltimore County), and the Patapsco River (spanning Baltimore, Howard, Carroll, Anne Arundel, and Frederick counties) - as "interjurisdictional flood hazard watersheds" requiring coordinated flood management planning across municipal and county boundaries. It mandates that local subdivisions develop unified flood management plans for these areas, which must be reviewed and approved by Maryland’s Department of the Environment to ensure consistency with flood control standards. The bill specifies that management techniques (like dams, levees, zoning, and stormwater systems) must be included in these plans, with disapproval limited to flood management concerns only. This policy change aims to streamline flood planning for watersheds crossing jurisdictional lines, taking effect October 1, 2026.
HB 247 modifies Maryland's Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program by tightening standards for land-use variances in protected areas. It requires local jurisdictions to presume that new development requests in critical areas conflict with program goals unless applicants prove hardship beyond convenience or financial gain. The bill adds that existing accessory structures on a parcel create a presumption of reasonable land use, and applicants must compare their request to similar conforming properties within the critical area. These changes apply to landowners seeking variances for development in designated coastal critical areas, effective October 1, 2026.
SB 381 requires Maryland county school boards to collect monthly energy usage data for all school buildings and report it to the state Interagency Commission on School Construction. The commission must then create rules for what data to collect and how often to report it, analyze the collected data, and provide specific recommendations to improve school energy efficiency. This bill directly affects county school boards and the state commission, aiming to make school energy use more efficient through data-driven insights. The law will take effect on July 1, 2026.
Maryland's SB 197 updates land use planning requirements for charter counties and local jurisdictions by adding eight mandatory elements to comprehensive and general plans, including new Resilience, Equity, Place, and Ecology elements. The bill requires counties to address specific subelements within each plan section, such as economic development strategies, community facilities, and historic resource protection, while mandating state agencies like the Department of Planning to provide data and guidelines. It replaces outdated sections with streamlined language, clarifies how counties can structure their plans (e.g., as individual chapters or grouped sections), and removes obsolete requirements like "mineral resources" and "water resources" elements. This bill directly affects local governments developing land use plans, ensuring they incorporate updated environmental, social, and economic priorities.
HB 614 requires every county board of education in Maryland to collect monthly data on energy usage in school buildings and submit it to the Interagency Commission on School Construction. The Commission must then create rules specifying exactly what data to collect and how often to report it. After gathering this data, the Commission must analyze it and provide specific recommendations to county boards for improving school energy efficiency. This bill directly affects county school districts and the state Commission, aiming to standardize energy reporting and drive efficiency improvements in public schools.
SB 201 modifies Maryland's requirements for approving new overhead transmission lines over 69,000 volts. It requires applicants to include specific details in their applications and mandates the Public Service Commission to consider certain evidence before approving projects. The bill also adds new reporting obligations for owners/operators of existing transmission lines. It defines "advanced transmission technologies" to include grid-enhancing tools, high-performance conductors, and energy storage used for transmission. These changes directly affect electric companies planning or operating high-voltage transmission infrastructure in Maryland.
