Energy Archives

Statewide Solar Permitting Overhaul Undermines Local Systems and Safety Standards

On March 3, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko submitted written testimony to the Environment and Transportation Committee in opposition to HB 1104 - Residential Solar Energy Systems - Local Inspections and Permitting. This bill would require counties to implement a highly prescriptive “solar permitting software” by August 1, 2027, mandate remote inspections (by recorded video or photograph) for projects permitted through that software, prohibit any manual review at any point in the permitting or…

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March 5, 2026

Agriculture / Energy / MACo Testimony / Planning and Zoning

Practical Clarification Necessary To Balance Solar Energy Growth and Farmland Preservation

On February 26, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko submitted written testimony to the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in support of SB 683 - Public Utilities - Solar Energy Generating Stations - Siting (Solar Siting and Preservation Credit Act of 2026). This bill would clarify that solar projects located on certain sites within a Priority Preservation Area (PPA) count toward the five percent ground-mounted solar cap established under the Renewable Energy Certainty Act…

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March 4, 2026

Energy / MACo Testimony / Planning and Zoning

Aligning Community Solar With Modern Energy Market and Framework

On February 19, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko testified before the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in support of SB 265 - Community Solar Energy Generating Systems - Prohibited Locations - Adjacent Parcels with amendments. This bill would remove the existing prohibition on co-locating community solar projects on adjacent parcels. Sponsor amendments, supported by MACo, would align community solar siting and revise standards with the safeguards enacted under the Renewable Energy Certainty Act…

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February 24, 2026

Energy / Finance and Procurement / MACo Testimony

Counties Advocate for Improved Access to Energy Performance Contracts

On February 3, Associate Policy Director Karrington Anderson testified before the Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 119 – Energy Performance Contracts - Navigators, Funding, and Requirements with amendments. This bill seeks to expand and improve access to energy performance contracting by requiring additional coordination with the Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC). Counties are seeking amendments to ensure that provisions directing navigators to review and establish energy efficiency measures and clean energy projects…

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February 5, 2026

County News / Energy / Environment / News You Can Use

Registration Open for Montgomery County’s 2026 Energy Summit

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that registration is open for the 13th annual Montgomery County Energy Summit. The 2026 summit will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, April 28-29, at the Silver Spring Civic Building located at Veterans Plaza. Early-bird registration rates are available through Tuesday, Jan. 27. The summit’s theme, “Elevating Building Performance,” highlights tools, strategies, and real-world guidance to boost building efficiency and navigate building energy performance standards. “Every day, Montgomery County government and the private sector work together to meet building performance…

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January 15, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Elections / Energy / General Assembly News

Setting the Stage for 2026: Affordability, County Priorities, and an Election Year Shift

As Maryland heads into the 2026 General Assembly session, county governments are confronting a familiar challenge, but with sharper edges. In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, MACo’s Kevin Kinnally, Michael Sanderson, and Dominic Butchko break down why affordability is the defining theme of the upcoming session. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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January 14, 2026

County News / Energy / Environment

Exelon Talks Energy Security and Rising Costs in Maryland

As Maryland heads toward another consequential legislative session, energy policy is once again front and center, and counties are feeling the pressure. In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, hosts Kevin Kinnally and Dominic Butchko are joined by Valencia McClure, Senior Vice President of Governmental, Regulatory, and External Affairs at Exelon, for a wide-ranging conversation on energy security, rising costs, and grid reliability. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts!…

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January 8, 2026

2026 MACo Issue Previews / Energy

2026 Issue Preview: Energy

With the 2026 Legislative Session approaching, MACo is profiling major issues, including energy, that stand to gather significant attention. The 2025 legislative session will go down in history as the “Session of Energy,” with the General Assembly passing a historic number of energy bills. A major focus for counties was HB1036/SB931, the Renewable Energy Certainty Act, which restored some local authority and provided predictability for the development of solar. For 2026, energy will again be…

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December 26, 2025

County News / Economic Development / Energy / Information Technology / MACo Events / Planning and Zoning / Winter Conference

Managing Data Center Growth: A Large County Perspective at #MACoCon

At the MACo Winter Conference, the Large County Coalition (LCC) focused on a fast-accelerating issue for counties nationwide: the rapid expansion of data center development and its impacts on residents, land use, energy infrastructure, local services, and long-term planning. With demand surging for cloud services, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity infrastructure, counties now sit at the center of land use, energy, and long-term planning decisions that carry real fiscal and community impacts. Prince George’s County Council…

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December 16, 2025

Agriculture / Economic Development / Energy / Environment / Housing and Community Development / Intergovernmental Relations / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works / Winter Conference

#MACoCon Recap: Environmental Finance Center’s Rural Offerings

At the MACo Winter Conference, attendees learned about how UMD's Enviro. The Finance Center can help rural counties secure additional resources. MACo’s Rural County Coalition provides a forum for Maryland’s rural counties to share their unique perspective on critical state and federal policy issues. At this meeting, the University of Maryland’s Environmental Finance Center walked through services and opportunities to help rural leaders access grant funding and other resources to better serve their communities. Additionally, rural…

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December 16, 2025