Energy has emerged as a central issue of the 2026 legislative session, with HB 1532 taking shape as the General Assembly’s leadership energy package.
Speaker Peña-Melnyk’s Utility RELIEF (Reducing Energy Load Inflation for Everyday Families) Act has evolved into the primary bill for major energy policy this session. After passing the House in significantly amended form before crossover, HB 1532 now includes a broad mix of proposals with direct implications for local governments.
Below is a quick look at several provisions counties are watching closely as the bill moves to the Senate.
Why Counties Care
Much of HB 1532 could directly affect county governments, particularly where state energy policy intersects with local permitting, land use, and long-term infrastructure planning.
Rooftop Solar Permitting Software
One of the bill’s most notable provisions would require counties to adopt rooftop solar permitting software (pages 14-18). Counties have raised concerns that this mandate could create public safety and historic preservation issues, particularly if local governments are restricted from conducting in-person inspections or applying site-specific review standards.
Needed Clarity on Solar Siting
Last year, the General Assembly enacted the Renewable Energy Certainty Act, resolving several longstanding questions around solar siting. While that law made meaningful progress, several key issues remain unresolved. HB 1532 does not currently address several of those outstanding questions, including how salvage value is treated in bonding, when the five percent cap in Priority Preservation Areas is calculated, and whether counties that established PPAs before the law’s effective date are grandfathered.
Local Input on Statewide Zoning Discussions
HB 1532 also directs the Power Plant Research Program within the Department of Natural Resources to study statewide zoning and permitting reforms for certain high-yield energy projects. Although state law has preempted some aspects of local energy siting, that preemption is not absolute. Counties remain the primary source of community-level information and should be included in any conversation about future statewide siting policy.
Changes to Net Metering
The bill would also revise Maryland’s net metering framework by giving the Public Service Commission more discretion over which facilities remain in the current program and which must transition to a new one. For counties that have invested significant public funds into long-term energy agreements, that added uncertainty could lead to revised contracts and higher costs.
Three Weeks to Sine Die
With much of the major housing legislation now sorted, HB 1532 is likely to take up a substantial share of the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee’s attention in the final weeks of session. The committee is scheduled to receive an in-depth briefing on the bill on March 24, followed by a hearing on March 25. Oral testimony is limited to five proponents and five opponents.
Regardless of how the bill emerges from the Senate, HB 1532 appears likely headed for conference committee and may remain in play through the final hours of session.
