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<section article="gsg" article_name="State Government" number="9-2014" 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>“Extended grid outage” means a planned or unplanned grid outage lasting more than 4 hours.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Low–income” means a household with an annual adjusted gross income at or below 175% of the federal poverty level.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Microgrid” means technology that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>combines clean, distributed power generation with advanced control equipment; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>enables portions of the electric grid to remain online when the wider grid is down.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>“Moderate–income” means a household with an annual adjusted gross income at or below 80% of the local median income, as determined by the latest Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development “Income Limits” document.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>“Program” means the Resiliency Hub Grant Program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>“Resiliency hub” means a location where solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage are designed to provide electricity to meet community needs during extended grid outages, including providing:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>emergency heating and cooling;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>refrigeration of temperature–sensitive medications;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>outlets or other plug power options for charging cell phone and computer batteries; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>ventilation and emergency lighting.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is a Resiliency Hub Grant Program in the Administration.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The purpose of the Program is to develop resiliency hubs that serve low–income and moderate–income households at no cost to the households.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>By regulation, the Administration shall set the terms and conditions for the issuance of grants under the Program consistent with this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The regulations shall include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a competitive application process for the Program; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>criteria and procedures for awarding grants to eligible recipients that give priority to awarding grants to projects for microgrids that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>use a community solar energy generating system, as defined in § 7–306.2 of the Public Utilities Article; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>provide more than 30% of the system’s kilowatt output to low–income and moderate–income subscribers.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The following persons are eligible for a grant under the Program:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>businesses;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>nonprofit entities;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>units of State government; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>local governments.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>A project is eligible for a grant under the Program if the project:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>proposes to develop a resiliency hub;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>will operate the resiliency hub for a period of at least 5 years; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>will serve a community of majority low–income or moderate–income households.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Administration shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>coordinate administration of the Program with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>provide to grant applicants information on other sources of assistance that may benefit the project, including loans and grants awarded under § 9–20B–05(i)(3) of this title.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>A person who receives a grant under the Program shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>acquire a written attestation that all installation contractors and subcontractors working on the project:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>pay at least 150% of the State minimum wage;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>afford employees the right to bargain collectively for wages and benefits;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>provide paid leave;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>are considered “covered employment” for purposes of unemployment insurance benefits in accordance with Title 8 of the Labor and Employment Article;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>entitle the employees to workers’ compensation benefits in accordance with Title 9 of the Labor and Employment Article;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>have been in compliance with federal and State wage and hour laws for the longer of the immediately preceding 3 years or for the duration of the contractor’s or subcontractor’s business operation; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>offer employer–provided health insurance benefits with monthly premiums that do not exceed 8.5% of the employee’s net monthly earnings; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>provide to the Administration a progress report on or before January 10, April 10, July 10, and October 10 each year.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
