HB 345

Public Utilities - Solar Energy Generating Systems and Solar Renewable Energy Credits (Affordable Solar Act)

Sponsor: Lorig Charkoudian (District 20)Committee: Environment and TransportationSubject: Utility RegulationStatus: Hearing 2/10 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

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.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (83)

MGA witness list

FAV 66FavorableFWA 5Favorable with amendmentsUNF 10UnfavorableINFO 2Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Bodine, Patricia	Adventist Healthcare Shady Grove Medical Center	Written (PDF)
FAV	Brown, Jim	Audubon Mid-Atlantic	Position only
FAV	Mauk, Jeff	Ceres	Written (PDF)
FAV	Baker, Brittanylobbyist	Chesapeake Climate Action Network	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Dutta, Robin	Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilcove, Michael	Citizens' Climate Lobby (Maryland)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bollerud, Erica	Citizens' Climate Lobby Silver Spring-Takoma Park Chapter	Written (PDF)
FAV	Krone, Christinelobbyist	City of Rockville	Written (PDF)
FAV	Searcy, Talisha	City of Takoma Park	Written (PDF)
FAV	Demiray, Sonia	Climate Communications Coalition	Position only
FAV	McGilvray, Laurie	Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Goldberg, Donald M.	Climate Law & Policy Project	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilkinson, nanci	Climate Mobilization Montgomery County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Coggeshall, Charlie	Coalition for Community Solar Access	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hession, Melody	Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCA	Position only
FAV	Stewart, Frances	Elders Climate Action Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Peltier, Laurel	Energy Advocates Coalition	Oral
FAV	N/A, Healthy Climate Maryland	Healthy Climate Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Organization, HoCo Climate Action	HoCo Climate Action	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shepter, Brian	Howard County	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Orozco, Andrea	Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Albacarys, Rico	International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 24	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Singer, Elizabeth	Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Howard County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Webster, Phil	Legislative body for the Unitarian Universalist faith, C/O Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis	Written (PDF)
FAV	Feighner, Liz	Liz Feighner, self	Position only
FAV	Tulkin, Joshlobbyist	MD Sierra Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Crump, Patrick	MEPPN	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Simon, Robert	Maryland Catholics for Our Common Home	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rehr, Rebeccalobbyist	Maryland League of Conservation Voters	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Scarr, Emilylobbyist	Maryland PIRG	Position only
FAV	Abbruzzese, Ricklobbyist	Maryland Rooftop Solar Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Edwards, Donna	Maryland State & District of Columbia AFL-CIO	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kinsey, Kathy	Mobilize Frederick	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fitzgerald, Garrett	Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fidler, Elisabeth	Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ostdahl, Maggielobbyist	National Aquarium	Position only
FAV	Duckett-Randolph, Neka	Out 4 Justice	Position only
FAV	Habib, Imanlobbyist	Progressive Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mitchell, Molly	Quaker Voice of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	SWASC, UM	Social Work Advocates for Social Change	Written (PDF)
FAV	Meredith, Leah	Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Goodson Bell, Selah	Solar United Neighbors Action	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dietz, Michellelobbyist	The Nature Conservancy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Reilly, Joan	Third Act	Position only
FAV	Miller, Cynthia	Third Act MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Detchon, Reid	Third Act Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Langer, Therese	Third Act Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	Alexander, Peter	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Arndt, Dave	Individual	Position only
FAV	Charkoudian, Lorig	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cohn, Debbie	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cook, Kristin	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Charkoudian, Delegate Charkoudianlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Dubitsky, Adamlobbyist	Individual	Oral
FAV	Durholz, Marlene	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Forbes, Beth	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Held, Karl	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hinz, Andrew	Individual	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 83

Organizations on record

Adventist Healthcare Shady Grove Medical CenterFAV 1

Audubon Mid-AtlanticFAV 1

CeresFAV 1

Chesapeake Climate Action NetworkFAV 1

Chesapeake Solar and Storage AssociationFAV 1

Citizens' Climate Lobby (Maryland)FAV 1

Citizens' Climate Lobby Silver Spring-Takoma Park ChapterFAV 1

City of RockvilleFAV 1

City of Takoma ParkFAV 1

Climate Communications CoalitionFAV 1

Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Climate Law & Policy ProjectFAV 1

Climate Mobilization Montgomery CountyFAV 1

Coalition for Community Solar AccessFAV 1

CSGUNF 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCAFAV 1

Elders Climate Action MarylandFAV 1

EMAUNF 1

Energy Advocates CoalitionFAV 1

FirstEnergy / Potomac EdisonUNF 1

Healthy Climate MarylandFAV 1

HoCo Climate ActionFAV 1

Howard CountyFAV 1

Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa)FAV 1

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 24FAV 1

Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Howard CountyFAV 1

Legislative body for the Unitarian Universalist faith, C/O Unitarian Universalist Church of AnnapolisFAV 1

Liz Feighner, selfFAV 1

Maryland Catholics for Our Common HomeFAV 1

Maryland Chamber of CommerceINFO 1

Maryland League of Conservation VotersFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland PIRGFAV 1

Maryland Rooftop Solar CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland State & District of Columbia AFL-CIOFAV 1

MD PSCFWA 1

MD Sierra ClubFAV 1

MEAFWA 1

MEPPNFAV 1

Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition (MAREC Action)FWA 1

Mobilize FrederickFAV 1

Montgomery County Department of Environmental ProtectionFAV 1

Montgomery County Women's Democratic ClubFAV 1

National AquariumFAV 1

New Columbia SolarFWA 1

Office of People's CounselINFO 1

Out 4 JusticeFAV 1

Progressive MarylandFAV 1

Public Service Commission of MarylandFWA 1

Quaker Voice of MarylandFAV 1

RECmintUNF 1

Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCUNF 1

Social Work Advocates for Social ChangeFAV 1

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)FAV 1

Solar LandscapeUNF 1

Solar Landscape, LLCUNF 1

Solar United Neighbors ActionFAV 1

The Nature ConservancyFAV 1

Third ActFAV 1

Third Act MarylandFAV 2

Third Act MDFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVBaker, BrittanyChesapeake Climate Action NetworkRegistered for: Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund

FAVKrone, ChristineCity of RockvilleRegistered for: American Coatings Association; Baltimore Gas and Electric Company; City of Rockville; Coordinating Center for Home and Community Care, The, LLC (dba The Coordinating Center); Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work, Inc.; LifeSpan Network…

FAVTulkin, JoshMD Sierra ClubRegistered for: Sierra Club Maryland Chapter

FAVRehr, RebeccaMaryland League of Conservation VotersRegistered for: Maryland League of Conservation Voters

FAVScarr, EmilyMaryland PIRGRegistered for: Maryland PIRG Citizen Lobby

FAVAbbruzzese, RickMaryland Rooftop Solar CoalitionRegistered for: Capital Logistics; Maryland Rooftop Solar Coalition (MRSC); Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America; Share Our Strength; We Work for Health; Maryland Catholic Conference…

FAVOstdahl, MaggieNational AquariumRegistered for: National Aquarium

FAVHabib, ImanProgressive MarylandRegistered for: Progressive Maryland

FAVDietz, MichelleThe Nature ConservancyRegistered for: Nature Conservancy, The

FAVDubitsky, AdamRegistered for: Cogeco US (Delmar), LLC, d/b/a Breezeline; Conservative Energy Network

UNFTroxell, TimothyFirstEnergy / Potomac EdisonRegistered for: FirstEnergy, Corp.

UNFCastelli, WilliamRifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCRegistered for: ASC Engineered Solutions; Berkshire Hathaway Energy GT&S, LLC; Board of County Commissioners of Allegany County, MD; Brown Advisory; Cable Telecommunications Association of Maryland, Delaware and D.C., Inc.; Colonial Pipeline Company…

UNFFiastro, JohnRegistered for: Amazon.com Services, LLC; Bayview Management LLC; Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1 MD, VA & DC; Building Decarbonization Coalition; Carbon Solutions Group; Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc.…

FWAVaughan, EvanMid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition (MAREC Action)Registered for: Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition Action (MAREC Action)

INFOAllen, HannahMaryland Chamber of CommerceRegistered for: Maryland Chamber of Commerce