Utility Regulation
Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Public Safety - Solar Photovoltaic Systems - Lockout Tag Requirement [HB-1486]
Requiring a company that installs solar photovoltaic systems to install a certain lockout tag containing a safety warning under certain circumstances; providing for the enforcement of the Act; establishing a civil penalty of at least $100 but not more than $500 for certain violations of the Act; specifying that a local government shall retain certain funds; applying the Act prospectively; and terminating the Act.
Sponsored by: Rep. Susan McComas
Hearing 4/04 At 1:00 P.m. on 04/04/2018
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Gettr Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Gas and Electricity - Analog, Digital, and Smart Meters - Meter Exchange and Transmission of Information [HB-1463]
Requiring a utility company to exchange an analog, digital, or smart meter for another certain meter under certain circumstances; prohibiting a utility company from charging or penalizing a customer for taking certain actions; and requiring that a certain utility customer have the opportunity to choose the frequency with which a certain meter transmits certain information.
Sponsored by: Rep. Herbert McMillan
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/17/2018
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Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2018 [HB-1453]
Establishing certain criteria for qualified offshore wind projects applied for on or after January 1, 2020; altering and extending the minimum required percentage of energy that must be derived from Tier 1 renewable sources in the State's renewable energy portfolio standard in certain years; altering and extending the minimum required percentage of Tier 1 renewable energy that must be derived from solar energy in the State's renewable energy portfolio standard in certain years; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Kumar Barve
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters; Withdrawn on 03/15/2018
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Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Consumer Relations - Natural Gas Infrastructure - Notice of Work [HB-1387]
Requiring a natural gas company to provide prior notice of certain work on natural gas infrastructure by advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation, on two types of social media, and on the gas company's website; and requiring a natural gas company to maintain a record of certain notice.
Sponsored by: Rep. Luke Clippinger
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters; Withdrawn on 03/06/2018
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Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Gas and Electricity - Analog Meters - Purchase and Installation [HB-1333]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to authorize a customer of a gas company or an electric company to purchase and install an analog meter; requiring the meter to comply with certain standards; requiring a gas company or an electric company to install the meter or allow certain persons to install the meter at the customer's request; providing that an analog meter may replace a different type of meter; prohibiting a gas company or an electric company from requiring the customer to install additional controls; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Frank Conaway
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/17/2018
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Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Gas and Electricity - Smart Meters - Customer Rights [HB-1274]
Requiring a utility company to give prior written notice to certain customers prior to deploying smart meters throughout all or a portion of the utility company's service territory; prohibiting a utility company from imposing any additional fee or charge on a certain customer that refuses installation of a smart meter or requests removal of a smart meter; requiring the Public Service Commission and the Maryland Department of Health to make certain reports regarding smart meters; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Frank Conaway
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/17/2018
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Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Solar Photovoltaic Recycling [HB-1242]
Establishing a solar photovoltaic recycling fee; requiring a person installing a solar electric generating facility in the State to pay the fee beginning October 1, 2018; establishing the Solar Photovoltaic Recycling Fund; requiring 20% of the first sale price of each renewable energy credit sold to be deposited into the Fund; providing the purpose of the Fund is to provide funding for technologies and processes that assist with the recycling of solar photovoltaic systems; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Kathy Afzali
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/15/2018
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Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Solar Energy Grant Program - Revisions [HB-1236]
Altering the maximum grant amount that the Maryland Energy Administration may award to certain properties under the Solar Energy Grant Program; prohibiting the Administration from denying a grant application for a certain property except under certain circumstances; and establishing the maximum grant amount of $3,000 for a building with not more than 5 dwelling units.
Sponsored by: Sen. Benjamin Brooks
Favorable With Amendments Report By Finance on 04/09/2018
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Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Renewable Energy - Offshore Wind Projects - Distance Requirements [HB-1135]
Altering from between 10 to 30 to not less than 26 nautical miles the distances required of certain qualified offshore wind projects from the State shoreline; prohibiting the Public Service Commission from approving certain offshore wind projects unless certain wind turbines are installed; requiring certain wind turbines to be installed in a certain manner for certain purposes; excluding from the calculation of certain ORECs the generation or capacity of certain wind turbines; requiring the Commission to enter a certain order; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Mary Carozza
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/12/2018
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Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Application for Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity - Criteria to Consider [HB-1126]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to take final action on a certain application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity only after due consideration of the effect of a generating station, an overhead transmission line, or a qualified generator lead line on air quality and water pollution, rather than the effect of the generating station, overhead transmission line, or qualified generator lead line on air and water pollution when applicable; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Richard Impallaria
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 283 on 04/24/2018
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Maryland 2018 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Caller ID Spoofing Ban of 2018 [HB-1090]
Prohibiting an individual or a person from taking certain actions to provide false location information when placing a telephone call with the intent to defraud, harass, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value; providing for the application of the Act; and establishing a certain penalty for providing false location information when placing a call.
Sponsored by: Rep. Kathy Afzali
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 515 on 05/08/2018
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Electric Vehicle Infrastructure - Prior Authorization [SB-998]
Prohibiting the Public Service Commission from establishing or continuing a certain electric vehicle charging station infrastructure pilot program unless the General Assembly enacts a law authorizing the program; and establishing the intent of the General Assembly that any law related to electric vehicle charging station infrastructure take into account the use of trust fund resources available for light-duty, zero-emission vehicle supply equipment from the Volkswagen Partial Consent Decree.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stephen Hershey
Hearing 3/19 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/11/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Wind and Solar Generating Stations - Local Zoning and Land Use [SB-997]
Prohibiting the Public Service Commission from taking final action on an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a wind or solar generating station until a county or municipal corporation in which any part of the generating station is proposed to be located has completed a certain review; repealing the requirement that the Commission give due consideration to certain recommendations before taking final action on a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a certain wind or solar generating station; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stephen Hershey
First Reading Senate Rules on 02/21/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Wireless Facilities - Installation and Regulation [SB-937]
Establishing procedures and requirements for the deployment, installation, and regulation of certain wireless telecommunications facilities in the State; prohibiting an authority from entering into an exclusive agreement for the use of certain rights-of-way for certain purposes; authorizing an authority to impose certain rates and fees for use of certain rights-of-way in a certain manner and subject to certain limitations; authorizing a wireless provider to collocate certain facilities and use certain rights-of-way; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Katherine Klausmeier
Referred To Interim Study By Finance on 03/18/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Ratepayer Reduction for Renewable Energy Act [SB-910]
Requiring a certain electric company to contract for certain renewable energy credits and electricity generated from certain Tier 1 renewable sources to meet a certain portion of the renewable energy portfolio standard for electricity that the electric company provides to certain customers beginning in 2020; requiring an electric company to solicit bids for a certain contract from certain renewable energy facilities; requiring an electric company to submit a certain contract to the Public Service Commission; applying the Act prospectively; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Brian Feldman
Unfavorable Report By Finance; Withdrawn on 03/15/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Solar Photovoltaic Systems [SB-886]
Altering the application of a provision requiring the payment of a certain deposit with the Public Service Commission in connection with an application to construct a solar photovoltaic system; requiring the Commission to refund the deposit within 1 year, rather than 18 months, after a person has obtained approval if the person has demonstrated that construction has commenced; altering the period of time from 18 months to 1 year within which a person may request a certain extension for a project that has not commenced construction; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stephen Hershey
Hearing 3/19 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/04/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Residential Electric Customers - Automatic Termination of Electricity Supply Contract [SB-881]
Providing that the enrollment of a residential electric customer in a certain payment plan or the participation of the customer in a certain program is a material change in contract; providing for the automatic termination, without penalty, of a contract for electricity service between a residential electric customer and an electricity supplier under certain circumstances; requiring an electricity supplier to refer a certain customer's account to the standard offer service available through a certain electric company; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stephen Hershey
Hearing Canceled on 03/15/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Customer Choice Shopping Website [SB-880]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to establish a customer choice website that allows electric customers to sort electricity suppliers that have open offers in a certain service area, and initiates the transition from one electricity supplier to another; specifying the contents of the website; requiring the Commission to use certain information received from an electricity supplier to maintain the information on the website; requiring the Commission to recover certain costs in a certain manner; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stephen Hershey
Unfavorable Report By Finance; Withdrawn on 03/13/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Residential Electricity and Gas Supply Billing Information - Reports [SB-716]
Requiring certain persons to submit to the Public Service Commission on and after July 1, 2020, monthly reports containing detailed billing information on the supply of electricity and gas to residential customers; requiring certain initial reports to include certain historic information; providing for the required contents of certain reports; requiring certain information to be organized into certain categories; requiring the Commission to make certain reports available to certain persons; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Mary Washington
Unfavorable Report By Finance on 03/18/2019
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Maryland 2019 Regular Session
Wireless Facilities - Permitting and Siting [SB-713]
Establishing procedures and requirements for the permitting, installation, and regulation of certain wireless telecommunications facilities in the State; authorizing a wireless provider to install and maintain certain facilities in certain rights-of-way in accordance with certain provisions; prohibiting the use of a public right-of-way from obstructing or hindering certain other uses; prohibiting a certain local law from prohibiting the installation of certain facilities or discriminating among certain providers; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Guy Guzzone
Referred To Interim Study By Finance on 03/18/2019