Solar Energy - Distributed Generation Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, Ground-Mounted Solar, and Small Solar Siting Workgroup
SB 983 creates a new state permitting pathway for certain mid-sized distributed solar projects by establishing a “distributed generation certificate of public convenience and necessity” (DGCPCN). The bill applies to community solar energy generating systems that would otherwise need a standard certificate of public convenience and necessity, have a capacity greater than 2 megawatts but not more than 5 megawatts alternating current, and are not located within a municipal corporation. Under the bill, such projects could not begin construction without either a DGCPCN or the existing certificate process, and a DGCPCN would carry the same force and effect as a standard CPCN.
The bill directs the Power Plant Research Program to develop proposed statewide siting and design requirements and licensing conditions by July 1, 2026, and requires the Public Service Commission to adopt implementing regulations by July 1, 2027. Those standards must address climate and renewable energy goals, setbacks, screening, forest preservation, stormwater and erosion controls, historic-site impacts, public safety, and decommissioning. The Commission would also set the application form, fee, and processing procedures, and would hold public hearings and consider public comment before issuing a DGCPCN. Local governments would still handle certain permits and approvals, such as site plan, stormwater, erosion and sediment control, and building/electrical permits.
SB 983 also limits local zoning authority over smaller ground-mounted solar projects. It prohibits counties from adopting zoning laws or regulations that restrict or prohibit the construction or operation of ground-mounted solar energy systems up to 2 megawatts alternating current. In addition, the bill creates a temporary Small Solar Siting Workgroup to study best practices for solar projects up to 2 megawatts, including statewide setback and screening standards, incentives for brownfields, parking lots, non-agricultural land, and agrivoltaics, and the possibility of a statewide model policy. The workgroup must submit an interim report by December 1, 2025, and a final report by December 1, 2026.
The bill’s overall effect would be to streamline and standardize state-level approval for certain distributed solar projects while preserving some local permitting roles. It would amend the Public Utilities Article and Natural Resources Article to integrate the new DGCPCN process into Maryland’s existing CPCN framework and to ensure state agencies are notified of applications. The bill also includes a sunset for the county zoning restriction and workgroup provisions, which expire June 30, 2027, and it states that it should not affect projects already approved before the new regulations take effect.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears designed to advance solar development and reduce permitting inconsistency, while also trying to address concerns about farmland, forests, environmental impacts, and local land-use control. The main likely points of contention are state preemption of county zoning, the scope of the new permitting pathway, and how much discretion the Public Service Commission and Power Plant Research Program would have in setting standards for solar siting.
SB 983 would add a new section to the Public Utilities Article establishing a DGCPCN process for certain distributed solar energy generating systems and would amend existing CPCN provisions to recognize that approval path as an alternative to the standard certificate. It would also modify the Natural Resources Article so the Department of Natural Resources and Department of the Environment are notified of applications tied to power plant construction under the CPCN framework. Separately, it would temporarily preempt county zoning laws for ground-mounted solar systems up to 2 MW AC and create a temporary interagency stakeholder workgroup to develop recommendations for small-solar siting policy.
No votes or committee testimony were provided, so the record does not show formal support or opposition. The bill’s findings and structure indicate a generally pro-solar, pro-streamlining policy approach, with an emphasis on meeting renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals. At the same time, the bill attempts to balance that objective with environmental safeguards, public hearings, and local permitting authority, suggesting an effort to appeal to both clean-energy advocates and stakeholders concerned about land use and project impacts.
The most notable likely contention is the bill’s restriction on county zoning authority, especially the prohibition on local rules that would block or significantly limit ground-mounted solar projects up to 2 MW AC. Counties and local land-use interests may view that as a state preemption of local control, while solar developers and clean-energy advocates are likely to support it as a way to reduce inconsistent local barriers. Additional points of debate include the new state-level DGCPCN process for 2-5 MW community solar projects, the environmental and forest-clearance standards to be adopted, and whether the bill gives the Public Service Commission and Power Plant Research Program enough flexibility to protect farmland, forests, and nearby communities while still accelerating solar deployment.