Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB742 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0742
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 742
8	8	C5 5lr2829
9	9	CF 5lr3076
10	10	By: Delegates Ghrist, Arentz, Arikan, Chisholm, Fisher, Grammer, Hutchinson,
11	11	Jacobs, M. Morgan, T. Morgan, Nawrocki, Otto, Pippy, Rose, Schmidt,
12	12	Szeliga, and Valentine
13	13	Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2025
14	14	Assigned to: Economic Matters
15	15
16	16	A BILL ENTITLED
17	17
18	18	AN ACT concerning 1
19	19
20	20	Public Utilities – Solar Energy Generating Stations – Eminent Domain 2
21	21
22	22	FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person constructing a solar energy generating station 3
23	23	from exercising a right of condemnation in connection with that construction; and 4
24	24	generally relating to the construction of solar energy generating stations. 5
25	25
26	26	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
27	27	Article – Public Utilities 7
28	28	Section 7–207(b)(2) 8
29	29	Annotated Code of Maryland 9
30	30	(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10
31	31
32	32	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
33	33	Article – Public Utilities 12
34	34	Section 7–207.1(c)(1), 7–207.2(b), and 7–208(b) 13
35	35	Annotated Code of Maryland 14
36	36	(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15
37	37
38	38	BY adding to 16
39	39	Article – Public Utilities 17
40	40	Section 7–207.1(h), 7–207.2(e), and 7–208(k) 18
41	41	Annotated Code of Maryland 19
42	42	(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
43	43
44	44	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
45	45	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
46	46
47	47	Article – Public Utilities 23
48	48	2 HOUSE BILL 742
49	49
50	50
51	51	7–207. 1
52	52
53	53	(b) (2) (I) Unless a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the 2
54	54	construction is first obtained from the Commission, and the Commission has found that the 3
55	55	capacity is necessary to ensure a sufficient supply of electricity to customers in the State, a 4
56	56	person may not exercise a right of condemnation in connection with the construction of a 5
57	57	generating station. 6
58	58
59	59	(II) NOTWITHSTANDING SUBPA RAGRAPH (I) OF THIS 7
60	60	PARAGRAPH , A PERSON MAY NOT EXERC ISE A RIGHT OF CONDE MNATION IN 8
61	61	CONNECTION WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SO LAR ENERGY GENERATING STATION 9
62	62	UNDER THIS SECTION . 10
63	63
64	64	7–207.1. 11
65	65
66	66	(c) (1) The Commission shall require a person that is exempted from the 12
67	67	requirement to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity to obtain approval 13
68	68	from the Commission under this section before the person may construct a generating 14
69	69	station described in subsection (b) of this section. 15
70	70
71	71	(H) A PERSON MAY NOT EXERC ISE A RIGHT OF CONDE MNATION IN 16
72	72	CONNECTION WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SO LAR ENERGY GENERATING STATION 17
73	73	UNDER THIS SECTION . 18
74	74
75	75	7–207.2. 19
76	76
77	77	(b) This section applies to a person who constructs a generating station that: 20
78	78
79	79	(1) has the capacity to produce more than 2 megawatts of electricity, as 21
80	80	measured by the alternating current rating of the system’s inverter, from a solar 22
81	81	photovoltaic system; and 23
82	82
83	83	(2) is exempted under § 7–207(b)(1)(ii) of this subtitle from the requirement 24
84	84	to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity. 25
85	85
86	86	(E) A PERSON MAY NOT EXERC ISE A RIGHT OF CONDE MNATION IN 26
87	87	CONNECTION WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SO LAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM 27
88	88	UNDER THIS SECTION . 28
89	89
90	90	7–208. 29
91	91
92	92	(b) This section applies to any person: 30
93	93
94	94	(1) constructing a generating station and its associated overhead 31
95	95	transmission lines designed to carry a voltage in excess of 69,000 volts; 32
96	96	HOUSE BILL 742 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	(2) exercising the right of condemnation in connection with the 1
100	100	construction; or 2
101	101
102	102	(3) constructing a qualified submerged renewable energy line. 3
103	103
104	104	(K) A PERSON MAY NOT EXERC ISE A RIGHT OF CONDE MNATION IN 4
105	105	CONNECTION WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SO LAR ENERGY GENERATIN G STATION 5
106	106	UNDER THIS SECTION . 6
107	107
108	108	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 7
109	109	October 1, 2025. 8