SB0026 • 2026

Public Utilities - Off-Grid Electricity Providers - Exemption

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Senator McKay
Last action: 2026-02-09
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Public Utilities - Off-Grid Electricity Providers - Exemption

Exempting certain off-grid electricity providers from certain provisions of law; providing that a certain off-grid electricity provider is subject to certain laws concerning certificates of public convenience and necessity and certain other required approvals for the construction of a generating facility; providing that a person may not be considered to be an off-grid electricity provider under certain circumstances; and applying the Act to off-grid electricity providers that begin operations after October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

Exempting certain off-grid electricity providers from certain provisions of law; providing that a certain off-grid electricity provider is subject to certain laws concerning certificates of public convenience and necessity and certain other required approvals for the construction of a generating facility; providing that a person may not be considered to be an off-grid electricity provider under certain circumstances; and applying the Act to off-grid electricity providers that begin operations after October 1, 2026.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-09 Senate
Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-16 Senate
Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.
2026-01-16 Senate
Hearing canceled
2026-01-14 Senate
First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
2025-11-01 Senate
Pre-filed
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Public Utilities - Off-Grid Electricity Providers - Exemption

Official Summary Text

Exempting certain off-grid electricity providers from certain provisions of law; providing that a certain off-grid electricity provider is subject to certain laws concerning certificates of public convenience and necessity and certain other required approvals for the construction of a generating facility; providing that a person may not be considered to be an off-grid electricity provider under certain circumstances; and applying the Act to off-grid electricity providers that begin operations after October 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0026*

SENATE BILL 26
C5 6lr1637
(PRE–FILED)
By: Senator McKay
Requested: November 1, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Utilities – Off–Grid Electricity Providers – Exemption 2

FOR the purpose of exempting certain off–grid electricity providers from certain provisions 3
of law; providing that a certain off–grid electricity provider is subject to certain laws 4
concerning certificates of public convenience and necessity and certain other 5
required approvals for the construction of a generating facility ; providing that a 6
person may no t be considered to be a n off–grid electricity provider under certain 7
circumstances; and generally relating to off–grid electricity providers. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Public Utilities 10
Section 7–219.1 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Public Utilities 16

7–219.1. 17

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “OFF–GRID ELECTRICITY PROVIDER” MEANS A 18
PERSON THAT OWNS OR OPERATES AN ELECTRIC GENERATING FACILITY THAT: 19

(1) DOES NOT INTERCONNECT WIT H THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM IN THE 20
STATE; 21

(2) DOES NOT CROSS STATE LINES; AND 22
2 SENATE BILL 26

(3) IS NOT LOCATED WITHI N AND DOES NOT CROSS ANY FEDERAL , 1
STATE, OR LOCAL ROADWAY OR RIGHT–OF–WAY. 2

(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO OFF –GRID ELECTRICITY PROVIDERS 3
THAT BEGIN TO GENERA TE, TRANSMIT, DISTRIBUTE, OR SELL ELECTRICITY ON OR 4
AFTER OCTOBER 1, 2026. 5

(C) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION 6
AND N OTWITHSTANDING ANY OT HER PROVISION OF LAW , AN OFF–GRID 7
ELECTRICITY PROVIDER IS EXEMPT FROM ANY P ROVISION OF THIS ART ICLE AND 8
ANY REGULATION, ORDER, OR PERMIT ADOPTED OR ISSUED UNDER THIS ARTICLE. 9

(2) AN OFF–GRID ELECTRICITY PROVIDER SHALL COMPLY WITH THE 10
REQUIREMENTS IN §§ 7–207 AND 7–207.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE WHEN CONSTRUCTING 11
AN ELECTRIC GENERATING FACILITY. 12

(D) ANY PERSON THAT QUALIFIED AS AN OFF–GRID ELECTRICITY 13
PROVIDER WHOSE ELECTRIC GENERATING FACILITY SUBSEQUENTLY 14
INTERCONNECTS WITH THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM IN THE STATE, CROSSES STATE 15
LINES, OR BECOMES LOCATED WITHIN OR CR OSSES ANY FEDERAL , STATE, OR 16
MUNICIPAL ROADWAY OR RIGHT–OF–WAY MAY NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED AN 17
OFF–GRID ELECTRICITY PROVIDER FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION. 18

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 19
October 1, 2026. 20