On March 5, 2024, Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified before the House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 1265-Local Government – Building Permits for Residential Solar Energy and Residential Energy Storage Systems – Required Platform and Inspections with amendments. This bill requires counties to implement the Solar APP+ to process permit applications for certain residential solar energy projects.
MACo urges some flexibility with this requirement, consistent with the goals of the bill, if the Committee is inclined to advance this directive.
Residential rooftop solar carries with it two primary possible risks, the first is the stability of the rooftop itself to support solar and the second is the safety of the electrical work. Counties understand the intent of HB 1265 is to streamline the process for approving residential rooftop solar projects. To this end, counties already largely offer multiple avenues for expediting these approvals.
HB 1265’s cross-file, SB 1054, was heard on March 7, 2024 in the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. Dominic Butchko testified in support of this bill with amendments.
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