EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb1111*
HOUSE BILL 1111
C5, M5, Q1 5lr3018
By: Delegate Fraser–Hidalgo
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 7, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Utilities – Solar Energy Generating Systems – Floating Systems and 2
Systems Located on or Over Water Retention Ponds, Quarries, or Brownfields 3
FOR the purpose of providing that certain floating solar energy generating systems located 4
on or over certain water retention ponds or quarries are eligible for the Small Solar 5
Energy Generating System Incentive Program; exempting certain floating solar 6
energy generating systems and solar energy generating systems located on 7
brownfields from a certain property tax authorizing the Mayor and City Council of 8
Baltimore City or the governing body of a county or municipal corporation to grant, 9
by law, a certain property tax credit against the county or municipal corporation 10
property tax imposed on certain nonresidential solar energy generating systems; and 11
generally relating to solar energy generating systems. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – Public Utilities 14
Section 7–709.1(a) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
Article – Public Utilities 19
Section 7–709.1(d) and (e) 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 22
2 HOUSE BILL 1111
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, adding to 1
Article – Tax – Property 2
Section 7–249 9–275 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Public Utilities 8
7–709.1. 9
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 10
(2) “Brownfield” has the meaning stated in § 7–207 of this title. 11
(3) “Certified SREC” means a solar renewable energy credit generated by 12
a certified system. 13
(4) “Certified system” means a solar energy generating system certified by 14
the Commission under the Program to generate certified SRECs with the compliance value 15
specified in subsection (c) of this section. 16
(5) “Program” means the Small Solar Energy Generating System Incentive 17
Program. 18
(d) To be eligible for certification under the Program, a solar energy generating 19
system shall: 20
(1) be located in the State; 21
(2) be eligible for inclusion in meeting the renewable energy portfolio 22
standard; 23
(3) have a generating capacity of 5 megawatts or less, as measured by the 24
alternating current rating of the system’s inverter; 25
(4) be placed in service between July 1, 2024, and January 1, 2028, 26
inclusive; and 27
(5) be one of the following types of systems: 28
(i) a system with a generating capacity of 20 kilowatts or less, as 29
measured by the alternating current rating of the system’s inverter; 30
HOUSE BILL 1111 3
(ii) a system with a generating capacity of 2 megawatts or less, as 1
measured by the alternating current rating of the system’s inverter, if the system is used 2
for aggregate net metering; or 3
(iii) a system with a generating capacity of between 20 kilowatts and 4
5 megawatts, as measured by the alternating current rating of the system’s inverter, if the 5
system is LOCATED ON OR OVER : 6
1. located on a rooftop,; 7
2. a parking canopy, or; 8
3. a brownfield; OR 9
2. A FLOATING SYSTEM 10
4. A WATER RETENTION PO ND OR QUARRY CURRENT LY 11
OR PREVIOUSLY DESIGN ATED FOR INDUSTRIAL USE. 12
(e) Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, the Commission, at the 13
time of certifying a solar energy generating system as a Tier 1 renewable source, shall 14
certify the system as eligible to generate certified SRECs in accordance with subsection (c) 15
of this section if the applicant submits with its application for certification as a Tier 1 16
renewable source: 17
(1) a form requesting to be certified to receive certified SRECs with the 18
value specified in subsection (c) of this section; 19
(2) a copy of the interconnection agreement between the applicant and the 20
applicant’s electric company indicating that the size of the system is eligible; 21
(3) if seeking certification as a system located on or over a roof, parking lot, 22
[or] parking structure, OR NONNAVIGABLE BODY OF WA TER AN AREA SPECIFIED 23
UNDER SUBSECTION (D)(5)(III) OF THIS SECTION , a copy of the final approval of the 24
local building permit; 25
(4) if seeking certification as a system located on a brownfield, 26
documentation demonstrating that the system is located on a brownfield; 27
(5) if seeking certification based on aggregated net metering, a copy of the 28
aggregated net energy metering rider submitted with the interconnection agreement; and 29
(6) any other information required by the Commission. 30
Article – Tax – Property 31
4 HOUSE BILL 1111
9–275. 1
(A) THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE CITY OR THE 2
GOVERNING BODY OF A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION MAY GRAN T, BY LAW, 3
A TAX CREDIT AGAINST THE COUNTY OR MUNICI PAL CORPORATION PROP ERTY TAX 4
IMPOSED ON A NONRESI DENTIAL SOLAR ENERGY GENERATING SYSTEM 5
CONSTRUCTED ON A BRO WNFIELD OR A WATER R ETENTION POND OR QUA RRY 6
CURRENTLY OR PREVIOU SLY DESIGNATED FOR I NDUSTRIAL USE . 7
(B) THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE CITY OR THE 8
GOVERNING BODY OF A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION MAY PROV IDE, BY 9
LAW, FOR: 10
(1) THE AMOUNT AND DURAT ION OF THE TAX CREDI T UNDER THIS 11
SECTION; 12
(2) ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILI TY CRITERIA FOR THE TAX CREDIT UNDER 13
THIS SECTION; AND 14
(3) ANY OTHER PROVISION NECESSARY TO CARRY O UT THIS SECTION. 15
7–249. 16
(a) This section applies only to nonresidential solar energy generating systems 17
that are approved by the Public Service Commission under § 7–207 or § 7–207.1 of the 18
Public Utilities Article on or after July 1, 2024. 19
(b) Nonresidential solar energy generating systems that are constructed on the 20
rooftops of buildings [or on], parking facility canopies, OR BROWNFIELDS , OR THAT ARE 21
FLOATING SYSTEMS , are not subject to valuation or to property tax. 22
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 23
1, 2025. 24