Bill to streamline rooftop solar permitting heads to governor’s desk
Summary
Every sunny roof without solar panels is a missed opportunity.Rooftop solar reduces dependence on fossil fuels, eases strain on the grid during periods of high electricity demand, increases resilience to threats such as extreme weather, and limits the amount of land needed to produce clean energy, all at a steadily falling cost. But, today obtaining a permit for rooftop solar and battery storage can take days, weeks, or months and can be complex, cumbersome, and costly. Maryland cant afford that kind of inefficiency for something as common-sense as rooftop solar.In 2021, the Department of Energy created SolarAPP+, a free tool for localities that can make permit processing instantaneous. Time savings, coupled with a uniform interface across jurisdictions, promise to make it easier, cheaper and faster to install more rooftop solar. With state incentives and federal tax credits in place to boost solar adoption in Maryland, now is the time to lean in.Montgomery County has piloted SolarAPP+, and 240 communities across the country have signed up, including: Phoenix and Tucson, AZ; San Francisco, CA; Denver, CO; Oklahoma City, OK; and, Houston, TX.Maryland ranks 10th in the nation for growth in small-scale solar power generation in the past decade, according to a report released in February by Environment Maryland Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group.