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Specifying that certain requirements under the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 are to be carried out to the extent economically practicable, including requirements concerning achieving certain direct greenhouse gas emissions reductions from certain buildings, measuring and reporting direct emissions data to the Department of the Environment, achieving certain greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, and achieving zero-emission vehicle goals relating to the State vehicle fleet and local school buses; etc.

Transferring the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program from the Maryland Energy Administration to the Maryland Clean Energy Center; repealing the authority of the Maryland Energy Administration to adopt regulations to implement the Program; and altering reporting requirements for the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund.

Requiring the Public Service Commission and the Maryland Energy Administration jointly, in consultation with neighboring states, to study the benefits and costs of, and make recommendations on, potential options for certain actions with regard to withdrawing from the PJM Interconnection, LLC capacity market model, developing a certain multistate compact, withdrawing from PJM Interconnection, LLC, and establishing or joining an alternative regional transmission organization; etc.

Authorizing the use of a certain portable solar electric generating facility by an eligible customer-generator for the purpose of net energy metering.

Transferring the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program from the Maryland Energy Administration to the Maryland Clean Energy Center; repealing the authority of the Maryland Energy Administration to adopt regulations to implement the Program; and altering reporting requirements for the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund.

Requiring the Public Service Commission and the Maryland Energy Administration jointly, in consultation with neighboring states, to study the benefits and costs of, and make recommendations on, potential options for certain actions with regard to withdrawing from the PJM Interconnection, LLC capacity market model, developing a certain multistate compact, withdrawing from PJM Interconnection, LLC, and establishing or joining an alternative regional transmission organization; etc.

Requiring a public body that enters into an energy performance contract to comply with certain provisions of law regarding energy performance contracts; requiring the Maryland Clean Energy Center to hire or contract with navigators to assist a public body in creating an energy performance contract; altering the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program and the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Fund to allow for the issuance of certain grants and loans to certain public bodies; etc.

Establishing the Green and Renewable Energy Efficiency for Nonprofits Loan Program in the Maryland Clean Energy Center to provide financial assistance in the form of no-interest loans to nonprofit organizations for the planning, purchase, and installation of qualifying energy systems and for actions that improve energy efficiency; establishing the Green and Renewable Energy Efficiency for Nonprofits Loan Fund; authorizing the Governor to include $5,000,000 in the fiscal year 2028 budget for the Fund; etc.

Requiring the Governor to withdraw the State from participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Requiring the Department of Natural Resources to facilitate community participation in project planning and development; establishing the Resilience Through Restoration Capital Grant Fund to provide funding for nature-based restoration projects intended to reduce the State's climate change vulnerability; requiring, by October 1, 2027, the Department to develop a website, guidance, and training for certain tools and resources; requiring, by December 31, 2035, the Department to take certain actions relating to climate change; etc.

Repealing certain prohibitions on the location of a community solar energy generating system based on the combined installed capacity of all community solar energy generating systems on adjacent parcels of land.

Requiring the Public Service Commission to conduct an analysis of the full costs and benefits of sources of electricity generation in the State; and requiring the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment and the House Environment and Transportation Committee by December 1, 2027.

Authorizing the purchase, installation, and use of a certain portable solar energy generating system for certain purposes; altering the renewable energy portfolio standard; requiring that certain alternative compliance fees be paid into a certain escrow account rather than into the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund; requiring the Public Service Commission to require electric companies to procure a certain number of SRECs and SREC-IIs; requiring the Commission to issue certain solicitations; etc.

Reducing from 5% to 2% the amount of priority preservation area acreage that may be used for the construction of certain solar energy generating stations; and requiring the Maryland Department of the Environment to study the environmental impact of the disposal of solar photovoltaic systems and report its findings to the General Assembly by September 30, 2027.

Authorizing the purchase, installation, and use of a certain portable solar energy generating system for certain purposes; altering the renewable energy portfolio standard; requiring that certain alternative compliance fees be paid into a certain escrow account rather than into the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund; requiring the Public Service Commission to require electric companies to procure a certain number of SRECs and SREC-IIs; requiring the Commission to issue certain solicitations; etc.

Authorizing the Attorney General to investigate, commence, and prosecute or defend any suit or action that holds certain entities accountable for tortious or otherwise unlawful conduct that has contributed to climate change; authorizing the Attorney General to hire outside counsel to assist with an action under the Act if the Attorney General makes a certain determination; establishing the Climate Crimes Accountability Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund; etc.

Requiring the Maryland Energy Administration to conduct a study on the potential for land-based wind energy generation in the State and the siting of land-based wind energy generating systems in the State; authorizing the Administration to use available funds in the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund to conduct the study; and requiring by December 1, 2026, the Administration to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and certain committees of the General Assembly.

Requiring the Power Plant Research Program to study and make recommendations on nuclear energy and its role as a renewable energy resource that can effectively combat climate change in the State; and requiring, by September 30, 2027, the Program to report its official findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly.

Requiring, beginning on or before July 1, 2026, and every 6 months thereafter, the Department of the Environment to report to the General Assembly on any changes in federal policy on greenhouse gas emissions that have been deemed legally valid by a final decision of a federal court and, if there has been a change in federal policy, on the steps the State is taking to respond to that change.

Requiring an electric company, located in the State, that owns or operates a transmission line that is designed to carry a voltage in excess of 69,000 volts to participate as a member in a regional transmission organization under certain circumstances; requiring a person applying for a certain certificate of public convenience and necessity to include certain information with the application; requiring certain transmission utilities to submit a certain advanced transmission technology implementation report; etc.

Requiring the Governor to withdraw the State from participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Altering the authorized uses of certain compliance fee revenue paid into the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund; and requiring certain funds in the Fund be used as refunds or credits to residential customers for electric service in fiscal year 2027.

Authorizing the Attorney General to investigate, commence, and prosecute or defend any suit or action that holds certain entities accountable for tortious or otherwise unlawful conduct that has contributed to climate change; authorizing the Attorney General to hire outside counsel to assist with an action under the Act if the Attorney General makes a certain determination; establishing the Climate Crimes Accountability Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund; etc.

Requiring the Maryland Energy Administration to conduct a study on the potential for land-based wind energy generation in the State and the siting of land-based wind energy generating systems in the State; authorizing the Administration to use available funds in the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund to conduct the study; and requiring by December 1, 2026, the Administration to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and certain committees of the General Assembly.

Requiring the Public Service Commission to conduct an analysis of the full costs and benefits of sources of electricity generation in the State; and requiring the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment and the House Environment and Transportation Committee by December 1, 2027.

Prohibiting a local government or unit of State government from restricting the sale, purchase, or use of a certain consumer good solely on the basis of the energy source used to power the consumer good; repealing provisions of law requiring the Department of the Environment to establish and maintain a certain low emissions vehicle program; repealing provisions of law requiring the Department to establish requirements for the sale of new zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles; and applying the Act retroactively.

Establishing the Green and Renewable Energy Efficiency for Nonprofits Loan Program in the Maryland Clean Energy Center to provide financial assistance in the form of no-interest loans to nonprofit organizations for the planning, purchase, and installation of qualifying energy systems and for actions that improve energy efficiency; establishing the Green and Renewable Energy Efficiency for Nonprofits Loan Fund; authorizing the Governor to include $5,000,000 in the fiscal year 2028 budget for the Fund; etc.

Altering the authorized uses of certain compliance fee revenue paid into the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund; and requiring certain funds in the Fund be used as refunds or credits to residential customers in fiscal year 2027.

Exempting a covered building that received a use and occupancy permit before June 1, 2022, from compliance with certain building energy performance standards and energy use intensity targets until it becomes necessary to replace lighting systems, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, or other major components of the covered building due to failure of those components, or as a result of the end of life of those components.

Requiring the Department of the Environment to adopt regulations governing the permitting of certain carbon removal technology and practices; and requiring each State agency to use available funding sources to fund carbon removal projects that utilize certain carbon removal technology and practices.

Reestablishing the Commission to Advance Lithium-Ion Battery Safety in Maryland with an altered membership and mandate; and requiring the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 1, 2027.

Requiring the Maryland Department of Labor to adopt, by October 1, 2028, and as part of the Maryland Building Performance Standards, energy conservation requirements for the new construction of buildings that are subject to the Building Energy Performance Standards adopted by the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Requiring an electric company, located in the State, that owns or operates a transmission line that is designed to carry a voltage in excess of 69,000 volts to participate as a member in a regional transmission organization under certain circumstances; requiring a person applying for a certain certificate of public convenience and necessity to include certain information with the application; requiring certain transmission utilities to submit a certain advanced transmission technology implementation report; etc.

Reestablishing the Commission to Advance Lithium-Ion Battery Safety in Maryland with an altered membership and mandate.

Requiring the Department of the Environment, in collaboration with the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, the Department of Transportation, and the Maryland Energy Administration, and in coordination with certain entities and persons, to complete a study and develop a report evaluating the potential design and implications of implementing an economy-wide cap-and-invest program that will help the State achieve certain emissions reductions and provide a sustainable funding source for certain initiatives.

Requiring the Department of the Environment, by January 1, 2028, to adopt regulations governing the permitting of certain carbon removal technology and practices; and requiring each State agency to use available funding sources to fund carbon removal projects that utilize certain carbon removal technology and practices.

Requiring the use of the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund for providing loans and grants for building electrification and transportation electrification.

Renaming the "renewable energy portfolio standard" to be the "clean energy portfolio standard"; renaming "renewable energy credits" to be "clean energy credits"; adding energy generated from certain nuclear energy generating stations as a Tier 2 renewable source eligible for inclusion in the clean energy portfolio standard; and applying the Act retroactively.

Prohibiting an electric company from collecting certain environmental surcharges or fees under certain circumstances; and requiring the Public Service Commission, by October 1, 2027, and each October 1 thereafter, to make a certain calculation each year related to the change in residential electric bills relative to inflation.

Extending the deadline by which a solar energy generating system must be placed in service to be eligible for certification under the Small Solar Energy Generating System Incentive Program from January 1, 2028, to January 1, 2031; and increasing the total amount of in-State generating capacity for certain solar energy generating systems from 270 megawatts to 540 megawatts.

Repealing certain provisions of law establishing and governing building energy performance standards.

Extending the deadline by which a solar energy generating system must be placed in service to be eligible for certification under the Small Solar Energy Generating System Incentive Program from January 1, 2028, to January 1, 2031; and increasing the total amount of in-State generating capacity for certain solar energy generating systems from 270 megawatts to 540 megawatts.

Decreasing the renewable energy portfolio standard for Tier 1 renewable sources for 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030.

Requiring that money in the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund be allocated in certain amounts in fiscal years 2028 through 2032 to certain programs that reduce the impact of climate change.

Transferring the administration of the electric universal service program from the Public Service Commission to the Office of Home Energy Programs in the Department of Human Services; and altering the authorized uses of the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to include fuel assistance programs.

Requiring the Governor to withdraw the State from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative by January 1, 2027; authorizing the State to rejoin the Initiative if all other states served by PJM Interconnection become full Members, or the State becomes and remains a net exporter of electricity; eliminating the surcharge that allows recovery of costs to utilities from the EmPOWER energy efficiency programs; altering the rate at which eligible customer-generators are paid for net excess generation; etc.

Requiring the Power Plant Research Program to make certain recommendations to the Governor's Energy Subcabinet on or before a certain date; requiring the Subcabinet to make a certain assessment and recommendations to the Maryland Stadium Authority; requiring the Subcabinet to report certain information on or before a certain date; and requiring the Authority to conduct certain feasibility studies and to submit certain information on or before a certain date.

Prohibiting a unit of State government from implementing or enforcing, after July 1, 2026, certain provisions of law relating to energy efficiency and conservation programs, services, and plans that support certain greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets; requiring the Public Service Commission to continue certain rate-making policies until certain electric companies and gas companies have recovered certain costs; etc.

Requiring that certain energy efficiency, conservation, and demand response programs include bill savings to residential customers; altering from December 31, 2032, to December 31, 2040, the date by which certain unpaid and unamortized costs must be eliminated; and requiring the Public Service Commission to establish, on or before July 1, 2027, certain caps or limit certain assessments.

Requiring the Office of Home Energy Programs to administer, or through a local administering agency administer, certain programs and activities regarding low- and moderate-income households and the Community Solar Energy Generating Systems Program; altering the method by which certain rated generating capacity is counted toward the statewide net energy metering limit; requiring the Public Service Commission to establish a certain statewide capacity reservation system for certain net energy metering projects; etc.

Altering the uses of the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund and certain compliance fees; requiring the Maryland Energy Administration, in consultation with the Public Service Commission, to develop and conduct certain annual, competitive, low-bid alternative compliance fee auctions for the development of certain renewable energy generation projects; establishing the purpose and procedures for an auction and the eligibility requirements for certain bidders; etc.

Establishing the Maryland Solar Photovoltaic Module Energy Security and Affordability Fund, the Maryland Energy Storage Energy Security and Affordability Fund, and the Maryland Zero-Emission Vehicle Energy Security and Affordability Fund; establishing advisory councils to administer the funds, support the marketing and promotion of certain technologies, and create certain checkoff programs; requiring certain surcharges on the sale of solar photovoltaic modules, energy storage systems, and zero-emission vehicles; etc.

Altering the definition of "solar permitting software" for purposes of provisions regarding permitting and inspections of residential solar energy systems; altering from August 1, 2025, to August 1, 2027, the date by which certain counties and municipalities must implement certain solar permitting software; requiring, on or before August 1, 2027, certain counties and municipalities to authorize remote inspections of certain residential solar energy systems; etc.

Requiring the Department of the Environment, in collaboration with the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, the Department of Transportation, and the Maryland Energy Administration, and in coordination with certain entities and persons, to complete a study and develop a report evaluating the potential design and implications of implementing an economy-wide cap-and-invest program that will help the State achieve certain emissions reductions and provide a sustainable funding source for certain initiatives.

Requiring the Office of Home Energy Programs to administer, or through a local administering agency administer, certain programs and activities regarding low- and moderate-income households and the Community Solar Energy Generating Systems Program; altering the method by which certain rated generating capacity is counted toward the statewide net energy metering limit; requiring the Public Service Commission to establish a certain statewide capacity reservation system for certain net energy metering projects; etc.

Exempting a covered building that received a use and occupancy permit before June 1, 2022, from compliance with certain building energy performance standards and energy use intensity targets until it becomes necessary to replace lighting systems, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, or other major components of the covered building due to failure of those components, or as a result of the end of life of those components.

Requiring the Public Service Commission to develop an implementation plan to convert formerly operational fossil fuel generating stations in the State to natural gas generating stations; requiring the Commission to conduct a public stakeholder process to solicit input when developing the implementation plan; and requiring the Commission, by January 1, 2027, to provide its implementation plan and recommendations to the Governor and certain committees of the General Assembly.

Requiring a unit of State government to set an expected degree of minority business participation specifically for certain provisions related to the procurement of electric vehicle charging equipment and installation in certain contracts under certain circumstances; requiring that recipients of $100,000 or more of State funding for the purchase and installation of electrical vehicle charging equipment comply with the State's minority business participation program; etc.

Requiring an owner or operator of a large-scale data center to submit a disclosure report to certain State and local agencies and elected officials under certain circumstances; specifying the contents of the disclosure report; requiring the Department of the Environment to publish the disclosure report on its website within 30 days of receiving the report; requiring, by June 30, 2027, each local jurisdiction with a population of at least 10,000 residents to adopt by local law a large-scale data center plan; etc.

Stating the authority to construct, permit, and operate in the State an energy generating system that produces energy from natural gas; authorizing investor-owned electric companies and electricity suppliers in the State to construct, acquire, or lease, and operate, their own generating facilities and construct, acquire, or lease, and operate, certain transmission facilities; authorizing certain investor-owned electric companies to recover certain investments and costs in a certain manner; etc.

Requiring an owner or operator of a stationary energy storage system to pay for certain fire response training and equipment for certain local fire departments with certain fire suppression responsibilities; and requiring the State Fire Marshal to administer and enforce the Act.

Altering the conditions under which a certain standard contract or tariff for net energy metering will no longer be available; requiring the Public Service Commission to develop and implement a successor program to the existing net energy metering program; establishing the conditions under which the successor program will no longer be available; requiring the Commission to conduct a certain proceeding on the development and implementation of a certain successor program; etc.

Transferring the administration of the electric universal service program from the Public Service Commission to the Office of Home Energy Programs in the Department of Human Services; and altering the authorized uses of the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to include fuel assistance programs.

Lowering the maximum monthly energy demand that is required for a certain large load customer to qualify for a specific rate schedule; altering the requirements that a certain multiyear rate plan must meet; authorizing the Public Service Commission to require a public service company to include a certain reconciliation procedure in the company's multiyear rate plan; altering the years for which certain electricity savings percentages are used to calculate certain greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets; etc.

Requiring the Governor to withdraw the State from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative by January 1, 2027; authorizing the State to rejoin the Initiative if all other states served by PJM Interconnection become full Members, or the State becomes and remains a net exporter of electricity; eliminating the surcharge that allows recovery of costs to utilities from the EmPOWER energy efficiency programs; providing that a certain tariff may not require an electric company to purchase or provide a certain bill credit; etc.

Altering the definition of "Tier 1 renewable source" for purposes of including energy derived from waste as an energy source eligible for inclusion in the renewable energy portfolio standard.

Altering the conditions under which a certain standard contract or tariff for net energy metering will no longer be available; requiring the Public Service Commission to develop and implement a successor program to the existing net energy metering program; establishing the conditions under which the successor program will no longer be available; requiring the Commission to conduct a certain proceeding on the development and implementation of a certain successor program; etc.

Repealing certain prohibitions on the location of a community solar energy generating system based on the combined installed capacity of all community solar energy generating systems on adjacent parcels of land.

Requiring an owner or operator of a stationary energy storage system to pay for certain fire response training and equipment for certain local fire departments with certain fire suppression responsibilities; and requiring the State Fire Marshal to administer and enforce the Act.