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<section article="gsg" article_name="State Government" number="9-2012" title_number="9" title_name="Miscellaneous Executive Agencies" subtitle_number="20" subtitle_name="Maryland Energy Administration">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Eligible applicant” means:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the owner of a residential property who purchases and installs an energy storage system on the residential property;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the owner of a commercial property who purchases and installs an energy storage system on the commercial property; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>an individual or a business entity that owns or pays for the installation of an energy storage system that supplies electrical energy intended for use on the residential or commercial property on which the energy storage system is installed.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Energy storage system” means a system used to store electrical energy, or mechanical, chemical, or thermal energy that was once electrical energy, for use as electrical energy at a later date or in a process that offsets electricity use at peak times.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Fund” means the Energy Storage System Grant Fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>“Program” means the Energy Storage System Grant Program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is an Energy Storage System Grant Program in the Administration.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The purpose of the Program is to provide grants to individuals and business entities for a portion of the costs of purchasing and installing energy storage systems.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Administration shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>administer the Program;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>establish application procedures for the Program; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>award grants under the Program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection and to the availability of money in the Fund, an eligible applicant may apply for a grant under the Program for costs incurred to purchase and install an energy storage system.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Administration may require that an applicant participate in a program or tariff established under § 7–1005 of the Public Utilities Article as a condition of eligibility for receiving a grant under the Program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a grant awarded under the Program may not exceed the lesser of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <level label="1">
          <text>for an energy storage system installed on a residential property, $5,000; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>for an energy storage system installed on a commercial property, $150,000; or</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>30% of the total installed costs of the energy storage system.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The award limits in paragraph (1) of this subsection do not apply to a grant provided to an applicant as an upfront incentive or rebate under § 7–1006 of the Public Utilities Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Administration shall approve all applications that qualify for a grant under the Program:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>on a first–come, first–served basis; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>in a timely manner.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>A grant under this section may not be awarded for an energy storage system installed before January 1, 2025.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <level label="1">
      <text>There is an Energy Storage System Grant Fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Administration shall administer the Fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The Fund consists of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>The Fund may be used only for:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>providing grants under the Program to eligible applicants; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>administrative costs of the Program.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The State Treasurer shall invest the money of the Fund in the same manner as other State money may be invested.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Any interest earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the General Fund of the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="j">
    <text>The Administration may adopt regulations to carry out this section.</text>
  </level>
</section>
