Environment - Building Energy Performance Standards and Energy Use Intensity Targets - Exemptions

HB 1415 amends Maryland's building energy performance standards to explicitly exempt agricultural buildings from compliance requirements. The bill modifies the definition of "covered building" (currently requiring commercial buildings over 35,000 sq ft to meet emissions targets) to exclude agricultural buildings, which are defined as structures used for cultivating or producing agricultural crops, including greenhouses. This change ensures agricultural facilities - such as barns, processing centers, and greenhouses - are not subject to the state's 20% emissions reduction target by 2030 or net-zero requirement by 2040. The bill does not alter the core energy standards for other covered buildings but clarifies which structures are exempt.