Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB640 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	sb0640
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 640
8	8	C5 5lr3076
9	9	CF HB 742
10	10	By: Senator Gallion
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 25, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Public Utilities – Solar Energy Generating Stations – Eminent Domain 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person constructing a solar energy generating station 3
21	21	from exercising a right of condemnation in connection with that construction; and 4
22	22	generally relating to the construction of solar energy generating stations. 5
23	23
24	24	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
25	25	Article – Public Utilities 7
26	26	Section 7–207(b)(2) 8
27	27	Annotated Code of Maryland 9
28	28	(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10
29	29
30	30	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
31	31	Article – Public Utilities 12
32	32	Section 7–207.1(c)(1), 7–207.2(b), and 7–208(b) 13
33	33	Annotated Code of Maryland 14
34	34	(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15
35	35
36	36	BY adding to 16
37	37	Article – Public Utilities 17
38	38	Section 7–207.1(h), 7–207.2(e), and 7–208(k) 18
39	39	Annotated Code of Maryland 19
40	40	(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
41	41
42	42	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
43	43	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
44	44
45	45	Article – Public Utilities 23
46	46
47	47	7–207. 24
48	48	2 SENATE BILL 640
49	49
50	50
51	51	(b) (2) (I) Unless a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the 1
52	52	construction is first obtained from the Commission, and the Commission has found that the 2
53	53	capacity is necessary to ensure a sufficient supply of electricity to customers in the State, a 3
54	54	person may not exercise a right of condemnation in connection with the construction of a 4
55	55	generating station. 5
56	56
57	57	(II) NOTWITHSTANDING SUBPA RAGRAPH (I) OF THIS 6
58	58	PARAGRAPH , A PERSON MAY NOT EXE RCISE A RIGHT OF CONDEMNATION IN 7
59	59	CONNECTION WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SO LAR ENERGY GENERATIN G STATION 8
60	60	UNDER THIS SECTION . 9
61	61
62	62	7–207.1. 10
63	63
64	64	(c) (1) The Commission shall require a person that is exempted from the 11
65	65	requirement to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity to obtain approval 12
66	66	from the Commission under this section before the person may construct a generating 13
67	67	station described in subsection (b) of this section. 14
68	68
69	69	(H) A PERSON MAY NOT EXERC ISE A RIGHT OF CONDE MNATION IN 15
70	70	CONNECTION WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SOLAR ENERGY GENER ATING STATION 16
71	71	UNDER THIS SECTION . 17
72	72
73	73	7–207.2. 18
74	74
75	75	(b) This section applies to a person who constructs a generating station that: 19
76	76
77	77	(1) has the capacity to produce more than 2 megawatts of electricity, as 20
78	78	measured by the alternating current rating of the system’s inverter, from a solar 21
79	79	photovoltaic system; and 22
80	80
81	81	(2) is exempted under § 7–207(b)(1)(ii) of this subtitle from the requirement 23
82	82	to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity. 24
83	83
84	84	(E) A PERSON MAY NOT EXERC ISE A RIGHT O F CONDEMNATION IN 25
85	85	CONNECTION WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SO LAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYS TEM 26
86	86	UNDER THIS SECTION . 27
87	87
88	88	7–208. 28
89	89
90	90	(b) This section applies to any person: 29
91	91
92	92	(1) constructing a generating station and its associated overhead 30
93	93	transmission lines designed to carry a voltage in excess of 69,000 volts; 31
94	94
95	95	(2) exercising the right of condemnation in connection with the 32
96	96	construction; or 33 SENATE BILL 640 3
97	97
98	98
99	99
100	100	(3) constructing a qualified submerged renewable energy line. 1
101	101
102	102	(K) A PERSON MAY NOT EXERC ISE A RIGHT OF CONDE MNATION IN 2
103	103	CONNECTION WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SO LAR ENERGY GENERATIN G STATION 3
104	104	UNDER THIS SECTION . 4
105	105
106	106	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5
107	107	October 1, 2025. 6
108	108