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<chapter num="07" heading="Maryland Energy Storage Systems Income Tax Credit Program" title_num="14" subtitle_num="26">
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".01" heading="Purpose.">
    <text>These regulations implement Maryland's Income Tax Credit — Energy Storage Systems Act by establishing procedures for persons and businesses to apply for tax credits for purchasing and installing a qualifying energy storage system on eligible property in Maryland.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" heading="Scope.">
    <text>The Maryland Income Tax Credit — Energy Storage System Act establishes a program to award tax credits to Individuals and Corporations that purchase and install a qualifying energy storage system on eligible property in Maryland. The Program also establishes limits on eligibility and the amount and duration of the credit Program.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" heading="Definitions.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Terms Defined.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>“Administration” means the Maryland Energy Administration.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>“Capacity factor” means the ratio of actual energy output compared with the maximum possible energy output over a specified period of time.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>“Commercial property” means nonresidential property with a commercial, industrial, or government use as outlined in the qualifications for the Commercial Clean Energy Grant Program in COMAR 14.26.04.02 and includes multifamily properties.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>“Corporation” has the meaning stated in Tax-General Article, §10-101(c), Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(5)">
        <text>“Energy density” means the amount of energy that can be stored in the given mass of the system.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(6)">
        <text>“Energy markets” mean wholesale electricity markets hosted by PJM Interconnection.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(7)">
        <text>“Energy storage duration” means duration at rated power.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(8)">
        <text>“Energy storage systems income tax credit” means a decrease in income tax liability offered to assist an individual or corporation in installing an energy storage system.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(9)">
        <text>“Energy storage system power density” means the rate of energy flux per unit of area of the energy storage system.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(10)">
        <text>“Individual” has the meaning stated in Tax-General Article, §10-101(g), Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(11)">
        <text>“Installation date” means the date when the energy storage system was installed on the property and operational, not when the final permits were completed.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(12)">
        <text>Residential Property.</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>“Residential property” means property, including a single-family home and an individual unit of a multifamily property or mixed use facility, that has the purpose of serving as a primary residence, as outlined in COMAR 14.26.04.02</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>“Residential property” includes a property with a home office.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" heading="Qualifying Energy Storage Systems.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Qualifying energy storage systems may store the following types of energy for use as electrical energy at a later date or in a process that offsets electricity use at peak times:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Electrical energy;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Mechanical energy;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Chemical energy; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>Thermal energy.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Qualifying energy storage systems shall maintain certain safety criteria, namely:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Use equipment certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL);</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Be installed by a licensed electrician, for electrical systems; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Be in compliance with all applicable building and fire codes.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>Qualifying energy storage systems shall also meet the following:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Be installed in Maryland; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Abide by Maryland regulations regarding interconnection with the electric utility and grid, if applicable.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>The Administration may adjust energy storage system qualifications across program years.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" heading="Qualifying Program Participant.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Qualifying energy storage program participants may include:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Residential taxpayers who purchase and install an energy storage system for a residential property which they own; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Commercial taxpayers who purchase and install an energy storage system for a commercial property which they own.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Taxpayers that have already claimed an energy storage systems income tax credit as part of this program are ineligible for additional energy storage systems income tax credits for the same taxable year.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>Addresses where energy storage systems income tax credits have already been claimed, including multifamily properties, are ineligible for additional energy storage income tax credits from this program.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>An energy storage systems income tax credit cannot be claimed for an electric vehicle.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="E.">
      <text>The Administration may adjust program participant qualifications across program years.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".06" heading="Amount of Tax Credit.">
    <text>An individual or corporation that receives a credit certificate from the Administration may claim a credit against the individual’s or corporation’s State income tax for a specified taxable year in an amount that may not exceed the lessor of:</text>
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>For a qualifying energy storage system installed:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>On a residential property, $5,000;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>On a commercial property, $75,000; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>30 percent of the total installed costs of the qualifying energy storage system.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>The Administration may bifurcate the annual program budget to allow for a funding allocation for both residential and commercial participants.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".07" heading="Application Process for a Credit Certification.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>An individual or corporation interested in qualifying for a credit certification may be asked to provide some or all, at the sole discretion of the Administration, of the following information to the Administration:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Name, address, email address, and phone number of the applicant's authorized representative;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Estimated gross income of property owner for a residential participant, or gross revenue for a commercial participant;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Estimated tax liability;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>Property physical address and proof of ownership of property;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(5)">
        <text>Description of the qualifying energy storage system being proposed for use at the facility and an explanation of how it offsets electricity when discharging;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(6)">
        <text>Name and contact information of the developer/installer;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(7)">
        <text>Whether or not the energy storage system will participate in wholesale energy markets;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(8)">
        <text>Anticipated cost of the qualifying energy storage system;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(9)">
        <text>Expected life of the qualifying energy storage system;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(10)">
        <text>Anticipated in-service date for the qualifying energy storage system;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(11)">
        <text>Anticipated capacity factor of the qualifying energy storage system;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(12)">
        <text>Energy storage duration;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(13)">
        <text>Energy density;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(14)">
        <text>Energy storage system power density;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(15)">
        <text>Documentation verifying that the energy storage system has been installed and is operational, which includes copies of local electrical permits, inspection approvals, equipment certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, the results of any performance testing, and any other applicable documentation; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(16)">
        <text>Any other information the Administration considers necessary to process the application.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>The Administration shall issue credit certificates on a first-come, first-served basis once it has determined the application is complete and verifies the information provided by the applicant.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>The Administration may bifurcate the application process as necessary into more than one step.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>The Administration may not issue a credit certification of more than $75,000 for a commercial property or $5,000 for a residential property, and the Administration may not issue a total amount of credits totaling more than $750,000 in any taxable year.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".08" heading="Unused Credit.">
    <text>If the credit allowed under this chapter in any taxable year exceeds the State income tax otherwise payable by the individual or corporation for that taxable year, any unused credit may not be claimed for another taxable year.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".09" heading="Program Termination.">
    <text>The Administration may not issue a certificate for a qualifying energy storage system installed after December 31, 2022.</text>
  </regulation>
  <annotations>
    <annotation type="Authority">Tax-General Article, §10-719, Annotated Code of Maryland</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Effective date: September 10, 2018 (45:18 Md. R. 834)</annotation>
  </annotations>
</chapter>