The Worcester County Commissioners received a briefing from MACo on the current outlook of state solar goals and policy.
The Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Executive Director Michael Sanderson and Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko recently updated the Worcester County Commissioners on the evolving state solar goals and policies. Over the past decade, state solar policy has become a highly debated issue as policymakers in Annapolis push for more ambitious targets. A key challenge has been finding a balance between local communities making ground-level decisions and the overarching state strategy, which sometimes encroaches on local autonomy.
During their briefing, MACo staff highlighted the development of Maryland’s current solar policies and provided insights on what county leaders can anticipate in the upcoming 2025 legislative session. The Commissioners raised several questions, including the impact of federal changes on state solar policy, the role of utility-scale batteries in meeting future energy demands, the influence of data centers, the conflicting goals imposed by the state on counties, and various revenue and taxation issues.
