SB 801 requires Maryland to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) by January 1, 2027, with conditions allowing rejoining if other states join RGGI or Maryland becomes a net electricity exporter. It eliminates the utility surcharge funding EmPOWER energy efficiency programs, shifting cost recovery away from customer bills. The bill also modifies net energy metering rates, altering how customers with solar panels are compensated for excess electricity fed back to the grid. These changes directly affect the state government, utilities, ratepayers, and residential/commercial solar customers. The policy focuses on restructuring energy cost recovery and emissions program participation without endorsing specific environmental outcomes.
SB 116 requires Maryland state agencies to include specific climate and sustainability information when submitting certain contracts for approval by the Board of Public Works. It applies to six contract types, including construction, energy performance, and architectural services, and mandates agencies to detail how contracts support greenhouse gas reduction, climate resilience, sustainable sourcing, and adherence to green building standards. The bill also requires liaisons from the Governor’s office, Comptroller, and Treasurer to ensure compliance and ensure this information appears on the Board’s agenda. This policy change, effective July 1, 2026, directly affects state agencies managing these contracts and the Board’s review process.
HB 66 requires the Governor to withdraw Maryland from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state program targeting carbon emissions from power plants. The bill amends Maryland law to remove the requirement for state participation in RGGI and redirects funds previously allocated to RGGI programs, such as the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund. It specifically repeals provisions that mandated joining RGGI, required emissions reporting under the initiative, and linked urban forestry programs to RGGI offset opportunities. The bill directly affects state agencies managing energy policy and environmental programs by eliminating RGGI obligations and redirecting related financial resources.
HB 521 repeals a surcharge on electric and gas utility bills that previously funded energy efficiency programs supporting Maryland's greenhouse gas reduction goals. The bill removes the requirement for utilities to recover costs related to these programs through customer bills, eliminating a mandatory surcharge that had been in place since at least 2008. This directly affects residential and commercial utility customers who previously paid this fee, as it no longer requires utilities to include these costs in billing. The repeal also removes disclosure requirements about the surcharge's purpose and duration.
SB 59 requires Maryland’s Department of Transportation to conduct impact assessments for major highway expansion projects costing over $100 million, measuring their effects on greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled. It mandates that projects include a multimodal transportation program (focusing on transit, bike paths, and pedestrian improvements) to offset emissions, with priority given to overburdened and underserved communities impacted by the project. The bill also requires the Department to evaluate all major capital projects in the Consolidated Transportation Program for climate impacts starting in 2028, aiming for net-zero or negative emissions from these projects. These requirements apply to projects not already funded or reviewed before 2026, aligning transportation planning with state climate goals.
HB 647 requires Maryland's Power Plant Research Program to study whether nuclear energy qualifies as a renewable resource and could help combat climate change. The study must evaluate current nuclear energy use in Maryland, identify environmental benefits, assess barriers to new nuclear projects, identify potential construction sites, and examine adding nuclear energy to the state's renewable energy goals. The program must submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and legislature by September 30, 2027. This bill directly affects the Power Plant Research Program and informs future energy policy decisions.
HB 79, the Climate Solutions Affordability Act of 2026, modifies Maryland’s Climate Solutions Now Act to require certain climate measures "to the extent economically practicable." It mandates building owners to annually measure and report emissions data starting in 2025, with goals of a 20% emissions reduction by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2040 for covered buildings. The bill also requires school districts to transition to zero-emission school buses for new contracts starting in 2025, with limited exceptions, and includes prevailing wage requirements for contractors on utility projects. These provisions directly affect building owners, school districts, and utility contractors, focusing on measurable emissions reductions without mandating unaffordable actions.
SB 223 transfers administration of the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program from the Maryland Energy Administration to the Maryland Clean Energy Center. The bill moves the program’s legal authority to the Maryland Clean Energy Center, repeals the Energy Administration’s regulatory power over the program, and updates reporting requirements for the related Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund. The program itself continues to provide low-interest loans to nonprofit organizations, local governments, state agencies, and eligible businesses for energy efficiency projects that reduce fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. This change is purely administrative and does not alter the program’s eligibility criteria, loan terms, or funding mechanisms.
HB 437, the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2026, requires Maryland’s Department of Transportation to conduct impact assessments for major highway expansion projects costing over $100 million. These assessments must evaluate greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled, and the department must develop a multimodal transportation program (including transit, biking, and pedestrian improvements) to offset emissions from the project. The program must prioritize overburdened and underserved communities affected by the project, aiming for net-zero or negative greenhouse gas emissions when combined with the highway project. This applies to projects not already funded or reviewed before June 30, 2026, and affects highway planning decisions across the state.
HB 572 authorizes Maryland’s Attorney General to sue large fossil fuel companies (with over $1 billion in market capitalization involved in extracting or processing coal, oil, or gas) for unlawful conduct contributing to climate change, including fraud or deception. It creates the Climate Crimes Accountability Fund, financed by settlements or judgments from these lawsuits, to pay for programs addressing specific climate harms like flooding, extreme heat, drought, and waterborne pathogens. The fund is a special, non-lapsing account managed by the state, with interest earnings automatically added to it. All money must directly support climate harm prevention, mitigation, or repair efforts as defined in the bill.
