Smart Solar Permitting Platform; established, residential solar energy systems.

The header was changed from 'Senate Substitute' to 'House Substitute', and the proposing committee was updated from the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations to the House Committee on Labor and Commerce.

The text layout was adjusted to reflect House formatting standards, including the addition of line numbers and a date stamp in the margin.

All substantive policy provisions, including the establishment of the Smart Solar Permitting Platform, eligibility criteria for streamlined permitting, and the July 2028 implementation deadline for localities, remain exactly the same.

Deleted the requirement that localities must allow applications via the new platform or an equivalent alternative by July 1, 2028, and removed the associated reporting and enforcement mechanisms.

Changed the bill header from 'Commerce and Labor Substitute' to 'Finance and Appropriations Substitute' and updated the bill number from 26107438D to 26107801D.

Removed the specific deadline for the Department of Energy to establish the platform by July 1, 2027.

Added a new section explicitly authorizing the Department of Energy to charge a surcharge on local solar permitting fees to defray state costs for developing and administering the platform.

Removed the requirement for a work group to study the appropriateness of adding a surcharge to local fees and report findings to the General Assembly.

Reformatted the text to match the standard layout of a Senate substitute bill, including page numbers and committee headers.

The definition of eligible systems was changed from a percentage-based goal to a specific technical standard: systems must weigh 4 pounds per square foot or less and connect to a 200-amp service.

The deadline for localities to allow applications through the platform was extended from January 1, 2028, to July 1, 2028.

The Department of Energy is now required to consult with the Department of Housing and Community Development and industry stakeholders before establishing the platform.

A new provision explicitly states that the bill does not limit or affect interconnection requirements and approval processes managed by the State Corporation Commission.

The definition of 'Residential' was updated to 'Residence' to refer specifically to a detached single-family or two-family home.

The Department must now consider cost-effectiveness when deciding whether to build the platform in-house or hire a third party.