This subtitle is applicable to electric companies, subscriber organizations, and subscription coordinators in service territories where customers have the ability to subscribe to a community solar energy generation system under the Community Solar Energy Generating Systems Program. In this subtitle the following terms have the meanings indicated. Terms Defined. Agent. “Agent” means a person who conducts marketing or sales activities, or both, on behalf of a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator. Agent includes an employee, a representative, an independent contractor and a vendor. “Agent” includes subcontractors, employees, vendors and representatives not directly under contract with the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator that conducts marketing or sales activities on behalf or for the benefit of the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator. “Agent” does not include a member of a neighborhood association, church, nonprofit organization, or other community organization that is a subscriber organization when the member is conducting marketing or sales activities on behalf of the subscriber organization to fellow members and is not receiving any compensation for those marketing or sales activities. “Agrivoltaics” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Baseline annual usage” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Brownfield” means one of the following: A former industrial or commercial site identified by federal or State laws or regulations as contaminated or polluted; A closed municipal or rubble landfill regulated under a refuse disposal permit by the Maryland Department of the Environment; or “Mined lands” as defined in COMAR 26.21.01.01B. “CAD” means the Consumer Affairs Division within the Commission pursuant to COMAR 20.32.01.02B(2). “Clean fill site” means a closed filling operation exempt from regulation by the Maryland Department of the Environment under COMAR 26.04.07.04C(5) for which a subscriber organization has provided documentation from a local authority having jurisdiction that the filling operation meets the exemption criteria under COMAR 26.04.07.04C(5). “Commission” means the Public Service Commission of Maryland. “Community solar energy generating system” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Consent” means an agreement with an action communicated by the following: A written document with customer signature; or An electronic document with electronic signature. “Consumer” or “customer” means a retail electric customer account holder of a regulated electric company. “Contract summary” means a summary of the material terms and conditions of a community solar program subscriber contract on a form provided by the Commission. “CSEGS” means a Community solar energy generating system. “Ecologically compromised” means a parcel certified in writing by the state, a county, or a municipal corporation as: Having suffered harm or damage that has resulted in a substantial disruption to the land’s natural processes, biodiversity, or ecological integrity; and Not targeted for mitigation or restoration. “Ecologically compromised” does not include the portions of a parcel: That can support agricultural operations; or Not certified by the state, a county, or municipal corporation as qualifying under paragraph (a) of this subsection. “Electric company” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §1-101, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Electronic transaction” means a standardized data protocol or electronic transmission medium that has been accepted by the Commission for use in Maryland. “Forest cover” has the meaning stated in Natural Resources Article, §5-1601, Annotated Code of Maryland. “LMI subscriber” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Low income” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.. “Moderate income” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Net tract area” has the meaning stated in Natural Resources Article, §5-1601, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Overburdened community” has the meaning stated in Environmental Article, §1-701, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Personally identifiable information” means information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other personal or identifying information that is linked or capable of being linked to a specific individual. “Pilot program” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Program” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Public event” means an event open to the public where subscriptions to a community solar energy generation system are marketed or sold. “Queue” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Reforestation” has the meaning stated in Natural Resources Article, §5-1601, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Security deposit” means any payment of money given to a subscriber organization by a subscriber in order to protect the subscriber organization against nonpayment of future subscription fees, but does not include escrowed prepaid subscription fees. “Subscriber” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Subscriber organization” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Subscription” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Subscription coordinator” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Tree” has the meaning stated in Natural Resources Article, §5-1601, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Underserved community” has the meaning stated in Environmental Article, §1-701, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Unsubscribed energy” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Utility” means an electric company as defined in Public Utilities Article, §1-101, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Virtual net energy metering” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Virtual net excess generation” means the amount of electricity generated by a CSEGS and attributed to a subscriber that would result in a negative kilowatt–hour reading at the end of the subscriber’s billing cycle if applied to the subscriber’s bill by the electric company as a reduction in metered kilowatt-hours. An electric company shall file a plan and relevant tariffs with an effective date no later than July 1, 2025 for compliance with this subtitle within 45 days after the effective date of revised program regulations adopted by the Commission under Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2(f), Annotated Code of Maryland. A municipal electric company or electric cooperative electing to participate in the Program shall file a plan and related tariffs for compliance with this subtitle within 45 days after notifying the Commission of that election. A CSEGS waitlisted by an electric company under the Pilot Program shall receive a queue position under the Program when the following occurs: The Program has begun under Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2(d)(20), Annotated Code of Maryland; and The electric company has received the information required by COMAR 20.62.03.04B(3) for the CSEGS to receive a queue position in the Program. For all projects waitlisted under the Pilot Program, an electric company shall establish the Program’s queue in the order of the date and time of each project’s application to the electric company under the Pilot Program regardless of Pilot Program category. A CSEGS with capacity on the Pilot Program queue shall retain the Pilot Program queue position when the tariffs submitted under §A of this regulation become effective. A CSEGS is considered to have been constructed under the Pilot Program if it received capacity in the Pilot Program and was constructed within the deadlines required under the Pilot Program or as extended by letter order. The Commission may waive a regulation in this subtitle for good cause shown. Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, 7-306, 7-306.1, and 7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: July 18, 2016 (43:14 Md. R. 781) Regulation .01 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .02B amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406); March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .03 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Each electric company shall establish a program to accept and administer community solar energy generating system projects from the earlier of: The first date of application of a subscriber organization to operate a community solar energy generating system after the effective date of the revised program regulations adopted by the Commission under Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2(f), Annotated Code of Maryland; or 6 months from the effective date of the revised program regulations adopted by the Commission under Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2(f), Annotated Code of Maryland. An electric company operating a CSEGS program shall continue to operate the program subject to Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2 or an applicable Commission order. An electric company shall apply bill credits and virtual net excess generation to a subscriber’s bill in accordance with applicable tariffs. An electric company shall pay subscriber organizations for unsubscribed energy in accordance with applicable tariffs. An electric company shall maintain program data and records as directed by the Commission. The Commission may direct electric companies to close the Program to new applications if the total Statewide net-metered generation exceeds the limit described in Public Utilities Article, §7-306(d), Annotated Code of Maryland. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may subscribe as many accounts as needed to match each CSEGS’s capacity. An electric company may require a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator to maintain a minimum average subscription size of 2 kW per customer for an individual CSEGS during the Program. Subscriber List. List Composition. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall provide the electric company with electronic data indicating the proportion of a community solar energy generating system’s output that shall be applied to each subscriber’s bill. An electric company may develop an alternative format for processing subscriber lists. Update Frequency. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may at any time provide an updated subscriber list to an electric company. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall provide an updated subscriber list via the designated electronic portal maintained by the electric company under §H of this regulation or any other format accepted by the electric company. An electric company shall use the most recent subscriber list provided by a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator, subject to submission deadlines incorporated by tariff and accepted by the Commission. An electric company shall apply credits using the most recently updated subscriber list provided by the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator. An electric company shall determine the amount of kilowatt hours to be credited to each subscriber by multiplying the subscriber’s most recent generation proportion from §A of this regulation by the output of the community solar energy generating system as measured by the electric company’s meter. Application of Subscription Credits. Unless otherwise directed by the Commission, an electric company may choose to apply the appropriate kilowatt-hour credit from §B of this regulation to each subscriber’s bill as either a reduction in metered kilowatt-hour use or a dollar credit to the subscriber's billed amount. An electric company shall choose the same method for all subscribers in a project. If the electric company chooses to apply the credit from §C of this regulation as a dollar amount, the electric company shall apply a credit no less than the value to the subscriber of the credit had it been applied to the subscriber’s bill as a reduction in metered kilowatt hours. An electric company shall retain a record of a project’s kilowatt hours applied to each subscriber’s account for a period of 7 years. Electronic Portal. An electric company shall establish and maintain an electronic portal that allows a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator to provide subscriber lists to the electric company for crediting as required by this regulation. An electric company that has established an electronic portal prior to the effective date of this regulation shall maintain an electronic portal with the capability that is specified in §H(3) of this regulation for each CSEGS in the Program. An electric company shall allow a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator to input data electronically in batches of up to 1,000 subscriber accounts per CSEGS, including the ability to add new subscribers, remove subscribers, and edit the allocations of existing subscribers. Electric Company Credit Allocation Reporting. An electric company shall provide a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator with a report detailing each subscriber’s credit allocation. An electric company shall provide the report described in §G(1) of this regulation no later than the last day of each calendar month following the month of the CSEGS meter reading by the electric company. A subscriber may not subscribe for an amount of energy that exceeds 200 percent of the value of the subscriber’s baseline annual usage including all subscriptions and any net metered generation. Multiple Subscriptions. A customer may purchase multiple subscriptions from one or more CSEGS. A subscriber’s total subscribed credits shall comply with §A of this regulation. A subscriber may participate in net metering as described in Public Utilities Article, §7-306, Annotated Code of Maryland, such that the total of all net-metered generation and subscribed energy does not exceed 200 percent of the value of the subscriber’s baseline annual usage. An electric company may not refund generation credits to customers except as electric bill credits or as payment for virtual net excess generation. A subscriber shall: Receive credit for virtual net excess generation; and Accrue virtual net excess generation in the same manner as an eligible customer-generator under Public Utilities Article, §7-306(f), Annotated Code of Maryland, using one of the following periods elected by the subscriber: for a period not to exceed 12 months ending with the billing cycle that is complete immediately prior to the end of April of each year; or an indefinite period. The requirements of §B of this regulation apply only to a subscriber that has elected to accrue virtual net excess generation for a period not to exceed 12 months. An electric company shall pay a subscriber a dollar amount of excess generation as reasonably adjusted to exclude the distribution, transmission, and noncommodity portion of the customer’s bill unless the electric company records subscriber credits as kilowatt hours. An electric company that serves electric retail choice customers shall pay the subscriber for kilowatt hours of excess generation at the lesser of the subscriber’s retail supply rate or the Standard Offer Service rate in effect at the time of payment. An electric company that does not provide Standard Offer Service shall pay a subscriber for kilowatt hours of excess generation at the electric company’s avoided cost of generation. An electric company may pay a subscriber an amount of excess generation as a bill credit if the amount of payment is less than $25. An electric company shall make a determination to apply §§B(1), B(2), or B(3) of this regulation in accordance with the type of subscription credits used for the subscriber according to Regulation .04 of this chapter. An electric company shall file tariffs to pay a subscriber organization for unsubscribed energy in accordance with Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2(d)(7), Annotated Code of Maryland. An electric company shall receive full and timely cost recovery of Program credit costs. An electric company may not establish a separate surcharge, fee, or rate for recovery of any program costs, including credit and administrative costs. An electric company may include Program credit costs in existing rate adjustments for distribution rates or as a revenue or cost component for transmission or commodity rates as accepted by the Commission. Electric company tariffs requiring payments or credits from an electric company to subscribers in effect during the Program or Pilot Program shall remain in effect for subscribers until the final community solar energy generating system in the service territory of the electric company is decommissioned. An electric company shall continue to facilitate the operation of a subscriber organization that was granted a queue position by the electric company during the Pilot Program or Program or constructed during the Pilot Program or Program until the final community solar energy generating system associated with the subscriber organization or is decommissioned. A subscriber organization may continue to operate a community solar energy generating system that was granted a queue position by the electric company during the Pilot Program or Program or constructed during the Pilot Program or Program until the community solar energy generating system is decommissioned. A subscriber organization may create, exchange, and trade subscriptions up to the full project capacity for a community solar energy generating system that was granted a queue position by the electric company during the Pilot Program or Program or constructed during the Pilot Program or Program until the community solar energy generating system is decommissioned. The Commission may establish standards for billing accuracy to apply to subscriber credits and billing revenue. The Commission may direct an electric company to develop additional automated billing and crediting features in order to improve billing accuracy for the Program. Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, 7-306, 7-306.1, and 7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: July 18, 2016 (43:14 Md. R. 781) Regulation .01 amended effective June 15, 2020 (47:12 Md. R. 597); March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406); March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .02 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .02A amended effective June 15, 2020 (47:12 Md. R. 597); March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .02C amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .03 amended effective June 15, 2020 (47:12 Md. R. 597); March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .04 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406); March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .04E amended effective June 15, 2020 (47:12 Md. R. 597) Regulation .06 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .07 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .09 A, C amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .10 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .11B amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) CSEGS Location. A customer may subscribe to a community solar energy generating system that is located in the same electric company service territory as the customer. The location of a CSEGS for the purpose of customer eligibility shall be determined by the physical location of the electric meter of the CSEGS. All rate classes are eligible to subscribe to a community solar energy generating system. Subscribers served by retail electricity suppliers and subscribers served by Standard Offer Service may subscribe to the same community solar energy generating system. A subscriber organization and a subscription coordinator shall apply with the Commission for admission to the Program on forms authorized by the Commission. The Commission shall assign each successful applicant a CSEGS identification number. An electric company that participates as a subscriber organization may not recover CSEGS project costs through base distribution rates. A subscriber organization shall provide, on forms authorized by the Commission, the following data upon application to the Program. The type and quantity of forest cover on each proposed site for a community solar energy generating system included within the application, including: The approximate net tract area measured in acres; The approximate acres within the net tract area with forest cover; and Any anticipated impacts the construction of any proposed community solar energy generating system will have on trees and forest cover at the site of the proposed community solar energy generating system, including: The approximate acres of forest cover that will be removed, if any, for construction of the community solar energy generating system; The approximate total acres of any forest cover that will be retained, if any, on the project site; The approximate total acres of anticipated reforestation, if any, required to comply with the Forest Conservation Act; If reforestation will be required, the anticipated method or methods of reforestation, which may include one or more of the following options: Retention and preservation of existing on-site forest; Retention and preservation of existing off-site forest; On-site plantings; Off-site plantings; Forest mitigation banking; Payment of a fee-in-lieu; or An alternative method adopted by a local jurisdiction and approved by the Department of Natural Resources under Natural Resources Article, §5-1606.1, Annotated Code of Maryland; and The approximate acres for each reforestation method identified in response to paragraph (d) of this subsection. An applicant that has been granted admission to the Program by the Commission that wishes to construct and operate a community solar energy generating system under this Program shall apply to the electric company serving the location of the system. Project Application Procedure. An electric company shall establish a project application procedure in compliance with these regulations and Commission Orders. An electric company shall develop its project application procedure in a manner designed to encourage achievement of program goals and timely project development. An electric company shall develop, for filing with the Commission, tariffed terms and conditions to administer the Program. An electric company shall assign each project an identification number unique to the electric company’s service territory for the purpose of identification. Low and Moderate Income Verification. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall verify the income of a prospective subscriber for eligibility as an LMI subscriber under the Program by using one of the following methods: Self-attestation by the prospective subscriber that does not need to be under oath or penalty of perjury; Requiring the prospective subscriber to provide evidence of eligibility for or enrollment in at least one of the following assistance programs: The Maryland Energy Assistance Program; The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Medicaid; Head Start; Free and reduced price school meals; The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program; EmPOWER Maryland low- or moderate-income incentives; Telephone lifeline service; The Fuel Fund of Maryland; or Any additional federal, State, or local assistance program that the Commission determines will further the purposes of the program; Pay stubs; Income tax documents; Proof of residence in an affordable housing facility; Proof of residence within a census tract that is: An overburdened community; and An underserved community; Any verification method that was available under the Pilot Program; or Any additional methods approved by the Commission to verify income. A multi-family dwelling unit shall qualify as a low-income subscriber for the purposes of the Program if it has an active contract or award with one or more of the following: United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; United States Department of Agriculture - Rural Development; Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development; Maryland Affordable Housing Trust; or Any other state or federal low- income housing assistance program that requires the operator of the low-income multi-family dwelling unit to ensure all residents of the low-income multi-family dwelling unit have income at or below the maximum income level required for the residents to qualify as LMI subscribers under the Program. An operator of a multi-family dwelling unit that does not meet the criteria under §D(2) of this regulation may apply to the Commission to qualify as an LMI subscriber for the purposes of the Program.. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall: Verify the eligibility of an LMI subscriber in accordance with §D(1) of this regulation; Retain records of each determination of eligibility for an LMI subscriber; and Make records of determination of eligibility available to the Commission on request. Electric Company Application Process. An electric company shall process applications filed under Regulation .03 of this chapter in the order in which the electric company receives the application. Within 5 business days of receipt, the electric company shall acknowledge receipt of the application and notify the subscriber organization whether the application is complete. If the application is incomplete, the electric company shall provide a written list detailing all information that must be provided to complete the application. A subscriber organization receiving notice of an incomplete application as described in §A(3) of this regulation shall revise and submit the required information within 10 business days after receipt of the list of incomplete information. The electric company shall notify a subscriber organization within 5 business days of receipt of a revised application whether the application is complete or incomplete. An electric company shall grant an extension of time to provide such information upon reasonable request from the subscriber organization. The electric company shall reject an application that is not submitted in accordance with this section. Queue Order. An electric company shall maintain a program queue consisting of a list of project applications in order of the date of receipt by the electric company of the application unless otherwise modified by §B(2) of this regulation. An electric company shall file with the Commission a tariffed procedure to prioritize multiple applications that are received on a single business day. An electric company shall deem a CSEGS application complete upon provision by the subscriber organization of the following: A partially executed interconnection agreement; Proof of site control; and One of the following: For a community solar energy generating system with a generating capacity of 2MWac or less, proof of application for a required permit or a preliminary step required prior to applying for a required permit; or For a community solar energy generating system with a generating capacity larger than 2MWac, a completeness determination issued by the Commission or a Public Utility Law Judge in response to an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity requesting authorization to construct the community solar energy generating system. An electric company shall accept the following as proof of site control: Evidence of property ownership; An executed lease agreement; or A signed option to purchase or lease. The Commission may establish additional conditions limiting the number of projects for which any single subscriber organization or its affiliates may apply in: The Statewide program; or A single utility service territory. Operational Deadline. If a project fails to begin operating within 24 months of the determination by the electric company that the subscriber organization has provided the information required under §B(3) of this regulation, the electric company shall remove the project from the electric company’s program queue unless the subscriber organization of the project provides to the electric company an additional deposit of $50 per kW to maintain its position within the program queue. If a project fails to begin operating within 36 months of the electric company’s determination that the application is complete under §B(3) of this regulation, the electric company shall remove the project from the electric company’s program queue. The electric company shall extend the operational deadline on a day-for-day basis for the following reasons: If the subscriber organization attests and provides evidence to the electric company that a project’s readiness to begin operating depends only upon receipt of permission to operate from the electric company; or If the subscriber organization attests and provides evidence to the electric company that a governmental permit or approval for the project was subject to a legal challenge or moratorium during the reservation period, and the legal challenge remains pending, or the moratorium remains in effect. An electric company shall return the CSEGS deposit upon commencement of operation unless the electric company has removed the project from the queue. If a project has been removed from the queue by the electric company, the queue deposit shall be forfeited. An electric company shall forward forfeited queue deposits to the Commission. Project Website Information. An electric company shall provide a list of information on its website about the current status of its program queue, including the following information: Name of the subscriber organization; Service address of the project; Proposed capacity of the project; Application date; Status of application (accepted, withdrawn, or removed) and date such action occurred; Interconnection application status; Expected date of first operation; Operation deadline under §C of this regulation; Project identification number; CSEGS identification number; and Project status (reserved, in-service, or withdrawn). Except as provided in §F of this regulation, an electric company shall update the list under §D of this regulation no less than once per week. An electric company is not required to update the list under §D of this regulation if there was no change to the information on the list in the immediately preceding week. An electric company that operates as a subscriber organization shall apply to the Commission for permission to enter each of its own projects into the electric company’s program queue. All subscriber organizations, subscription coordinators, and utilities shall use the uniform electronic transaction processes approved by the Commission. Community Solar Program Data Collection. Subscriber organizations shall provide the Maryland Public Service Commission with the following data by the 10th day of January, April, July, and October, and the data will be provided to the Maryland Energy Administration and may be made publicly available: The name and address of the subscriber organization responsible for the community solar project; The name(s) and contact information (phone number, email address, and website) of the organization(s) authorized to find and sign-up subscribers; The name and description of the community solar array to include its project ID, physical location, and electrical service territory; The status of the community solar array development to identify the project phase to include at least one of the following options: Design and development phase; Under construction; In-service; Canceled/withdrawn; or On-hold/waitlist; The status of subscription acquisition to include at least one of the following options: Not soliciting subscriptions at this time; Subscriptions are available; Fully subscribed, not accepting new subscriptions; or Fully subscribed, but wait-listing new requests; The types of subscriptions being sought to include at least one of the following options: Private placement only, not available to the public; Available to residential subscribers only; Available to commercial subscribers only; or Available to both residential and commercial subscribers; The status of special discounts available to Low and Moderate income subscribers; The project size (kW-ac); The expected in-service date; and Date of last data update. Subscriber organizations shall provide the Maryland Public Service Commission with the following data by the 10th day of January, April, July, and October: Information that the subscriber organization deems confidential shall be marked as such; Confidentially marked documents or information contained therein shall be shared with the Maryland Energy Administration and the Office of People's Counsel; Confidential documents can be shared by the Maryland Public Service Commission with an entity subject to the entity signing a nondisclosure agreement or subject to the requirements of the Public Information Act. The name, address, phone number, and email address of the subscriber organization point of contact (POC); The date program capacity was granted by the utility; The proposed community solar generating system output power (kW-dc); Proposed community solar energy generating system acreage (land actually inside the fence line); The percentage of energy subscribed to residential subscribers and to commercial subscribers; A subscription summary for each class of subscribers showing rates, fees, and any other pertinent information; and Date of last data update. During community solar project design and construction, all data in §B(1) and (2) of this regulation are considered to be the “best estimate” as of the reporting date. Within 60 days of an array going online, data shall be finalized with values as of the date of “Permission to Operate”. No additional reporting is required after the commercial operational date. If no data have changed from the last report, the subscriber organization may simply submit a report stating that there were no changes from the previous report. Subscribers are not customer-generators under Public Utilities Article, §7-306(g)(5), Annotated Code of Maryland. Subscriber organizations shall own and have title to all renewable energy attributes or renewable credits associated with community energy generating facilities for which they are authorized by the Commission to participate in the Program. A subscriber organization may apply to the Commission to convert all or a portion of an existing solar generating system that participates in net energy metering under Public Utilities Article, §7-306, Annotated Code of Maryland into a community solar energy generation system under the Program. Except as provided in §B of this regulation, a community solar energy generating system may not be located on the same or an adjacent parcel of land as an existing or proposed community solar energy generating system if the total installed capacity of all community solar energy generating systems on the same or adjacent parcel would exceed 5 megawatts. The prohibition under §A of this regulation does not apply to projects constructed: On the rooftops of buildings; In areas that are zoned for industrial use; On brownfields locations and clean fill sites; Over parking lots or roadways; On multilevel parking structures; On or over transportation or public rights-of -way; At airports; On land that: Was previously zoned for industrial use or is ecologically compromised; and Is not targeted for mitigation or restoration; or In any location if the combined capacity of all community solar energy generating systems on the same or adjacent parcel does not exceed 10 megawatts and: At least 75% of the aggregate capacity of the co-located community solar energy generating system serves LMI subscribers; For a site without a community solar energy generating system installed before the start of the Program, all of the community solar energy generating systems installed after the start of the Program are used for agrivoltaics; or For a site with a community solar energy generating system installed before the start of the Program, each new community solar energy generating system installed after the start of the Program is used for agrivoltaics. A subscription coordinator shall apply with the Commission and obtain a Commission approval number before performing the functions of a subscription coordinator. A subscription coordinator shall notify the Commission of any CSEGS projects for which the coordinator is or plans on performing any functions of a subscription coordinator. The Commission shall make the list of subscription coordinators for which application has been made under §A of this regulation publicly available on the Commission’s website or other website approved by the Commission. A subscription coordinator operating solely as an authorized subscriber organization under the Pilot Program shall apply to the Commission to convert its authorization to a subscription coordinator within 180 days of the start of the Program. Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, 7-306, 7-306.1, and 7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: July 18, 2016 (43:14 Md. R. 781) Regulation .02 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .02A, D amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .03 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .03D amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .04 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221); March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .04C amended effective June 15, 2020 (47:12 Md. R. 597) Regulation .04D amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .05 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406); March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .06B amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .07 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .08 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .08A amended effective June 15, 2020 (47:12 Md. R. 597) Regulation .08B amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .08D, E adopted effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .09 adopted effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .09D amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) An electric company shall provide the Commission with data necessary to monitor the program status, impact on operations, and other information upon request. An electric company shall make reasonable attempts to assist Program applicants with identifying means to locate and operate community energy generation facilities in a manner that minimizes adverse effects or maximizes distribution system benefits at locations identified by applicants. Project Information. A utility shall designate a contact person, and provide contact information on its website and for the Commission’s website for submission of all project application requests, and from whom information on the project application request process and the utility’s electric distribution system can be obtained. The information provided by the utility on its website shall include studies and other materials useful to an understanding of the feasibility of interconnecting a CSEGS on the utility electric distribution system, except to the extent providing the materials would violate security requirements or confidentiality agreements or be contrary to law. In appropriate circumstances, the utility may require an applicant to execute an appropriate confidentiality agreement prior to release or access to confidential or restricted information. An electric company shall monitor and review its distribution system to determine any adverse or beneficial effects resulting from each installed community solar energy generating system. An electric company shall maintain the following customer information for each project operating under the Program: Customer class; Annual usage; Average bill; and Peak demand. Commission Staff shall report annually on electric companies’ billing accuracy, interconnection complaints, and consumer complaints related to the program. A subscriber organization shall maintain the following information for each project operating under the Program: Ownership information; Technical and managerial expertise; Business address; Project design details, including: Project location/service territory; A/C output capacity; Equipment list; and Interconnection requirements; Subscriber data as directed by the Commission, including: Household income; Credit rating; and Other data; and Subscription information, including: Rates; Fees; and Terms and conditions. A subscriber organization shall provide the information in §A of this regulation to the Commission upon request. A subscriber organization shall provide to the Commission, in a timely manner, information requested by the Commission concerning the operation of a community solar energy generating system. Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, 7-306, 7-306.1, and 7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: July 18, 2016 (43:14 Md. R. 781) Regulation .01 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .02A, D amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .03A amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) This chapter applies to transactions between CSEGS subscriber organizations, subscription coordinators, or their respective agents and customers that are subscribing to a community solar energy generation system under the Program. A customer may grant authority to a subscription coordinator to act on the customer's behalf in any process required by this chapter. A subscription coordinator shall disclose to a subscriber its relationship with any person with whom the subscription coordinator executes a contract on behalf of a customer. A contract between a subscription coordinator and a customer is subject to the Commission's regulatory jurisdiction under this subtitle and COMAR 20.32. Regulations .08, .09, .14, .16, .17, .18, and .20 of this chapter do not apply to nonresidential customers. No person shall subscribe a customer to a community solar energy generation system without the customer’s consent. A subscriber organization may not add a new charge for a new service, existing service, or service option without first obtaining consent from the customer, verifiable to the same extent and using the same methods specified under Regulation .08 of this chapter. Advertising Permitted. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may advertise its services. A subscriber organization, a subscription coordinator, or their agent may not engage in a marketing or trade practice that is unfair, false, misleading, or deceptive. Marketing Disclosures. A subscriber organization’s, a subscription coordinator’s, or their agent’s marketing or solicitation information shall include the subscriber organization’s or subscription coordinator’s Maryland approval number in a clear and conspicuous manner. If a subscription price is quoted, the following are required: A statement that the subscription price quoted is only for the specified product or services provided by the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator, and the subscription price quoted does not include any tax, commodity, utility distribution or transmission charge, or other utility fee or charge; A statement that the subscriber organization’s or subscription coordinator’s price is not regulated by the Commission; and Any projected savings presented to a potential subscriber shall include a comparison that projects future electricity rates increasing at not more than 1 percent per year. Internet Advertising. If a subscriber organization, a subscription coordinator, or their agent maintains a website, the subscriber organization, the subscription coordinator, or their agent shall post on the Internet readily understandable information about its services, prices, and any other mandated disclosures. Telephone Solicitation. A subscriber organization, subscription coordinator, or their agent soliciting customers by telephone shall comply with all applicable State and federal law, including the Maryland Telephone Solicitations Act, Commercial Law Article, §§14-2201—14-2205, Annotated Code of Maryland. A subscriber organization, a subscription coordinator, or their agent may not conduct a residential customer telephone solicitation before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall apply uniform income, security deposit, and credit standards for the purpose of making a decision as to whether to offer a subscription to customers within a given class, provided that the subscriber organization may apply separate sets of uniform standards for the purpose of promoting participation by low-income and moderate-income retail electric customers. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may market services on a geographic basis. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator is not required to offer services throughout an electric company’s entire service territory. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may not refuse to provide service to a customer based on the economic character of a geographic area or the collective credit reputation of the area. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may not discriminate against any customer, based wholly or partly, on race, color, creed, national origin, or gender of an applicant for service or for any arbitrary, capricious, or unfairly discriminatory reason. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may not refuse to provide service to a customer except by the application of standards that are reasonably related to the subscriber organization’s economic and business purposes. Contract Summary. Either prior to or at the same time as a contract for a subscription to a CSEGS or authority to act per COMAR Regulation .01B of this chapter is executed, a subscriber organization or a subscription coordinator shall present the customer with a completed Contract Summary Disclosure using a form that is approved by the Commission. The customer shall initial a copy of the Contract Summary Disclosure to acknowledge receipt of the Contract Summary, and: If a subscription contract is completed through the Internet, the completed Contract Summary shall be: Available online and made available for download by the customer at the time of contracting; and Transmitted to the customer by the subscriber organization by mail or by email if the customer consents to receipt of email disclosures; and Whether a subscription contract is completed in person or electronically, a subscriber organization shall allow the subscriber to retain a signed version of the executed contract and an initialed version of the Contract Summary Disclosure form. Notice of Subscription. A subscriber organization shall provide notice of subscription of a customer to a utility in a format consistent with Commission Orders. A customer entering into an agreement with a subscriber organization shall receive written notice of enrollment from the subscriber organization and the electric company. Notice of enrollment under §B(1) of this regulation shall include the following: Customer name; Customer service address; Billing name; Billing address; Utility name; Utility account number; Subscriber organization name; Subscriber organization account number; and Effective date of the enrollment. Minimum Contract Requirements. A subscribing organization’s subscription contract shall contain all material terms and conditions, including: A plain language disclosure of the subscription, including: The terms under which the pricing will be calculated over the life of the contract and a good faith estimate of the subscription price expressed as a flat monthly rate or on a per-kilowatt-hour basis; and Whether any charges may increase during the course of service, and, if so, how much advance notice is provided to the subscriber; Contract provisions regulating the disposition or transfer of a subscription to the CSEGS, as well as the costs or potential costs associated with such a disposition or transfer; All nonrecurring (one-time) charges; All recurring (monthly, yearly) charges; A statement of contract duration, including the initial time period and any rollover provision; Terms and conditions for early termination, including: Any penalties that the subscriber organization may charge to the subscriber; and The process for unsubscribing and any associated costs; If a security deposit is required: The amount of the security deposit; A description of when and under what circumstances the security deposit will be returned; A description of how the security deposit may be used; and A description of how the security deposit will be protected; A description of any fee or charge and the circumstances under which a customer may incur a fee or charge; A statement that the subscriber organization may terminate the contract early, including: Circumstances under which early cancellation by the subscriber organization may occur; Manner in which the subscriber organization shall notify the customer of the early cancellation of the contract; Duration of the notice period before early cancellation; and Remedies available to the customer if early cancellation occurs; A statement that the customer may terminate the contract early, including: Circumstances under which early cancellation by the customer may occur; Manner in which the customer shall notify the subscriber organization of the early cancellation of the contract; Duration of the notice period before early cancellation; Remedies available to the subscriber organization if early cancellation occurs; and Amount of any early cancellation fee; A statement describing contract renewal procedures, if any; A dispute procedure; The Commission’s toll-free number and Internet address; A notice that the contract does not include utility charges; A billing procedure description; The data privacy policies of the subscriber organization; A description of any compensation to be paid for underperformance; Evidence of insurance; A long-term maintenance plan; Current production projections and a description of the methodology used to develop production projections; Contact information for the subscriber organization for questions and complaints; A statement that the subscriber organization and electric company do not make representations or warranties concerning the tax implications of any bill credits provided to the subscriber; The method of providing notice to the subscribers when the CSEGS is out of service for more than 3 business days, including notice of: The estimated duration of the outage; and The estimated production that will be lost due to the outage; An explanation of how unsubscribed production of the CSEGS will be allocated; and Any other terms and conditions of service. A residential customer may downsize the allocation of solar kilowatt hours under an existing CSEGS Subscription. A subscriber organization may charge or collect no more than a reasonable fee for the downsizing of a subscriber’s allocation. A subscription coordinator may not charge or collect a termination fee for the downsizing or cancellation of a subscriber’s allocation. A subscription coordinator may only enroll subscribers in CSEGS contracts that guarantee financial savings for the subscriber. Methods of Contracting. A subscriber organization may not subscribe a residential customer using a process that does not require the customer’s consent. A subscriber organization that contracts with a customer by means of the Internet shall: Confirm the identity of the person making the contract; Comply with applicable Maryland and federal law; and Take appropriate steps to safeguard customer privacy. A subscriber organization that sends a contract over the Internet to a valid email address of the contracting customer is considered to have complied with §B(2)(a) of this regulation. Evergreen Contracts. A subscriber organization shall provide a customer with a notice of the pending renewal of an evergreen contract 30 days before the automatic renewal is scheduled to occur. The subscriber organization notice required under §C(1) of this regulation shall: Provide a clearly stated and highlighted notice to a customer of any changes in the material terms and conditions of the agreement; and Inform the customer how to terminate the contract without penalty. A CSEGS Subscription may be transferred or assigned to a CSEGS subscriber organization or to any person or entity who qualifies to be a subscriber in the CSEGS. A CSEGS subscriber who desires to transfer or assign all or part of his subscription to the CSEGS subscriber organization, in its own name, or to become unsubscribed shall notify the CSEGS subscriber organization and the transfer of the subscription to the CSEGS subscriber organization shall be effective upon such notification, unless the CSEGS subscriber specifies a later effective date. A CSEGS subscriber who desires to transfer or assign all or part of his subscription to another eligible customer desiring to purchase a subscription may do so only in compliance with the terms and conditions of the subscription and will be effective in accordance therewith. The CSEGS subscriber organization and the electric company shall jointly verify that each CSEGS subscriber is eligible to be a subscriber in the CSEGS under Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. Changes in the subscriber rolls of the CSEGS, including the effective date of changes, shall be communicated by the CSEGS subscriber organization to the electric company, in written or electronic form, as soon as practicable but no less than 30 days. Prices paid for subscriptions in a CSEGS may not be subject to regulation by the Commission. A subscriber that moves to a premise located within the service territory served by the CSEGS may change the premises to which the CSEGS electricity generation shall be attributed to the new premise, and a subscriber organization may not charge an unreasonable transfer fee to such a customer. Except as provided in COMAR 20.62.04 and §B of this regulation, a subscriber organization may not disclose energy usage or personally identifiable information about a subscriber, or a subscriber’s billing, payment, and credit information, without the subscriber’s consent. A subscriber organization may disclose a subscriber’s billing, payment, and credit information for the sole purpose of facilitating billing, bill collection, and credit reporting. A subscriber organization shall provide a customer with a copy of the subscriber organization’s customer information privacy policy. A subscriber organization shall treat information received from prospective customers, including those who do not subscribe, in accordance with §§A and C of this regulation. Subscriber funds collected by the CSEGS subscriber organization in advance of commercial operation of the CSEGS shall be held in an escrow account in a manner approved by the Commission. The escrow shall be maintained by its terms until such time as the CSEGS commences commercial operation as certified by the electric company’s acceptance of energy from the CSEGS. A CSEGS subscriber organization shall provide the customer with notice at least 30 days before expiration or cancellation of a subscription contract. Contents of Notice. The subscriber organization’s expiration or cancellation notice required under §A of this regulation shall include: Final bill payment instructions; and The toll-free telephone number and the website address of the subscriber organization and the Commission. Early Cancellation. Notice of early cancellation by the subscriber organization shall comply with §B of this regulation. Early Cancellation Fee. A subscriber organization may impose a reasonable early cancellation fee if a customer cancels the contract before the expiration date. A subscriber organization may deduct a cancellation fee from a customer deposit. Except as provided in a tariff regarding subscriber organization default, an electric company may remove a customer from subscriber organization services only if directed by a subscriber organization, subject to applicable bankruptcy law. When a subscriber organization contracts with a customer, the newly contracting subscriber organization shall notify the customer that the customer may incur early cancellation penalties under a current subscriber organization contract. At least 30 days prior to the effective date of any assignment or transfer of a subscription contract from one subscriber organization to another, the subscriber organizations shall jointly provide written notice of the assignment or transfer to the customers of the subscriber organization, the Commission, the electric company, and the Office of People’s Counsel. Notice to Customer. The subscriber organizations shall jointly send notice to the customer informing them of the assignment or transfer. The letter shall include: A description of the transaction in clear and concise language including the effective date of the assignment or transfer; Customer service contact information for the assignee; and A statement that the terms and conditions of the customer’s contract at the time of assignment shall remain the same for the remainder of the contract term. The subscriber organizations shall file a notice with the Commission, with a copy to the Office of People’s Counsel and the electric company, of the assignment or transfer of the customer contracts and include a copy of the letter sent to customers. Upon request by the Commission, the assignee shall be responsible for providing documents and records related to the assigned contracts. Records shall be maintained for a period of 3 years or until the contracts are expired, whichever is longer. A customer alleging a violation of this subtitle may file a dispute with the Commission’s Consumer Affairs Division. Upon proof of the allegations, the customer’s remedy through the Consumer Affairs Division is limited to a refund of any overcharge and any fees or penalties paid by the customer as a result of the unauthorized subscription or other violation. This subtitle does not limit: The authority of the Commission under Public Utilities Article, Annotated Code of Maryland; The authority of the Attorney General to investigate violations of consumer protection or other legal requirements; or The ability of a customer to pursue other relief against a subscriber organization or other party. A subscriber organization may use an agent or subscription coordinator to conduct marketing or sales activities. A subscriber organization is responsible for any fraudulent, deceptive, or other unlawful marketing performed by its agent or subscription coordinator while marketing or selling subscriptions on behalf of the subscriber organization. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall develop standards and qualifications for individuals it chooses to hire as its agents. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may not hire an individual that fails to meet its standards. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may not permit a person to conduct door-to-door activities until it has obtained and reviewed a criminal history record in the same manner as provided in COMAR 20.53.08. When a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator contracts with an independent contractor or vendor to perform door-to-door activities, the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall document that the contractor or vendor has performed criminal background investigations on an agent in accordance with this regulation and with the standards set by the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may satisfy this requirement by obtaining from the independent contractor or vendor a written statement affirming that the criminal background check was performed by them or under their supervision in accordance with this regulation and with standards set by the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator and presented in writing. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall periodically audit whether the background checks completed by its independent contractor or vendor have been completed in accordance with this regulation. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall ensure the training of its agents on the following subjects: Local, State and federal laws and regulations that govern marketing, telemarketing, consumer protection, and door-to-door sales as applicable to the types of marketing and jurisdiction in which the agent shall engage or operate; Responsible and ethical sales practices; The subscriber organization’s products and services; The subscriber organization’s or subscription coordinator’s rates, rate structures, and payment options; The customer’s right to rescind and cancel contracts; The applicability of an early termination fee for contract cancellation when the subscriber organization has one; The necessity of adhering to the script and knowledge of the contents of the script if one is used; The proper completion of transaction documents; The subscriber organization’s or subscription coordinator’s Contract Summary Disclosure; Information about how customers may contact the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator to obtain information about billing, disputes, and complaints; and The confidentiality and protection of customer information. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall document the training of an agent and maintain a record of the training for 3 years from the date the training was completed. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall make training materials and training records available to the Commission and the Office of People’s Counsel upon request. Any such material shall be treated as confidential. When a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator contracts with an independent contractor to perform marketing or sales activities on the subscriber organization’s or subscription coordinator’s behalf, the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall confirm that the contractor or vendor has provided subscriber organization-approved training to agents and independent contractors in accordance with this section. The subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall monitor telephonic and door-to-door marketing and sales calls to: Evaluate the subscriber organization’s or subscription coordinator’s training program; and Ensure that agents are providing accurate and complete information, complying with applicable rules and regulations and providing courteous service to customers. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall issue an identification badge to agents to be worn and prominently displayed when conducting door-to-door activities or appearing at public events on behalf of a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator. The badge shall: Accurately identify the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator, its trade name, and its logo; Display the agent’s photograph; Display the agent’s full name; and Display a customer service phone number for the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator. Upon first contact with a customer, an agent shall: Identify the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator that the agent represents; and State that the agent is not working for and is independent of the customer’s local distribution company or another subscriber organization or subscription coordinator. When conducting door-to-door activities or appearing at a public event, an agent may not wear apparel or accessories or carry equipment that contains branding elements, including a logo that suggests a relationship that does not exist with a utility, government agency, or another subscriber organization or subscription coordinator. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may not use the name, bills, marketing materials, or consumer education materials of another. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator agent may not say or suggest to a customer that a utility customer is required to choose a CSEGS subscriber organization. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator and its agents shall comply with the Maryland Door-to-Door Sales Act, local government ordinances regarding door-to-door marketing and sales activities, and any other applicable consumer protection law. A subscriber organization’s or subscription coordinator’s agent shall: Prominently display an identification badge; and Offer a business card or other material that lists: The subscriber organization’s or subscription coordinator’s name and contact information, including telephone number; The Maryland approval number of the subscriber organization’s CSEGS project or for subscription coordinators the CSEGS project the subscription coordinator is affiliated with and the subscription coordinator’s Commission approval number; and The agent’s name and any other identification numbers provided to the sales agent by the subscriber organization or agent. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall establish a policy that requires an agent to terminate contact with a customer if the customer is incapable of understanding and responding to the information being conveyed by the agent. When an agent completes a transaction with a customer, the agent shall provide a copy of each document that the customer signed or initialed relating to the transaction. A copy of these documents shall be provided to the customer before the agent and the customer leave each other’s presence. An agent shall immediately leave a residence when requested to do so by a customer or the owner or an occupant of the premises, or if the customer does not express an interest in what the agent is attempting to sell. When a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator engages in door-to-door activity, the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall notify CAD no later than the morning of the day that the activity begins. The notification shall include general, nonproprietary information about the activity, the period involved, and a general description of the geographical area. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall provide the utility with general, nonproprietary information about the door-to-door activity that caused the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator to provide notice to the Commission. The subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall provide this general information to the utility no later than the morning of the day that the sales and marketing activities begin. The utility shall use this information only for acquainting its customer service representatives with sales and marketing activity occurring in its service territory so that they may address customer inquiries knowledgably. A utility may not use the information for other purposes. Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, 7-306, 7-306.1, and 7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: July 18, 2016 (43:14 Md. R. 781) Regulation .01 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .01A amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221) Regulation .03 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .04 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .05 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .06 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .07A amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .08A amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .15 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .16 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .17 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .18 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .19 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) Regulation .20 amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406) This chapter is applicable to electric companies, subscriber organizations, subscription coordinators, and subscribers participating in consolidated billing. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. Terms Defined. “Administrative fee” means a fee that is charged by an electric company to a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator that has elected to use consolidated billing. “Consolidated billing” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland. “Net bill credit” means the remaining credit on a bill rendered by an electric company for electric service to a subscriber that is participating in consolidated billing. “Savings rate” means a percentage set by a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator for a subscriber which represents the discount to the subscriber’s energy charges provided by the subscribed energy. “Subscription charge” means an amount charged by a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator to a subscriber in exchange for subscribed energy. An electric company subject to this subtitle shall file a tariff with the Commission to implement consolidated billing for the program. An electric company shall implement consolidated billing as required by this chapter no later than January 1, 2026. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator associated with a CSEGS may elect to participate in consolidated billing for the following: One or more accounts subscribed to the CSEGS; or All the accounts subscribed to the CSEGS. Savings Rate. Savings Rate Data. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall include in the subscriber list provided for a CSEGS under COMAR 20.62.02.04A, a savings rate for each subscriber’s account. For savings rate minimum precision, an electric company shall calculate an account’s net bill credit using a savings rate with precision up to .01 percentage points. For a non-LMI subscriber that is participating in consolidated billing, a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall set a percentage savings rate that is greater than or equal to zero. For an LMI subscriber that is participating in consolidated billing, a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator shall set a percentage savings rate that is greater than or equal to 10 percent. A subscriber organization or subscription coordinator may set a unique savings rate for each account subscribed to a CSEGS. Application of the Net Bill Credit. Saving Rate Updates to the Subscriber List. When calculating a net bill credit, an electric company shall use the savings rate information provided by a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator under §B of this regulation. An electric company shall apply updated savings rate information no later than the first full billing cycle for the subscriber’s account that occurs after receiving the information. Calculation of Credits and Charges. An electric company shall calculate the dollar amount of the net bill credit for a subscriber’s account by multiplying the savings rate by the dollar value of the subscription credit during the billing period. An electric company shall calculate the dollar amount of the subscription charge by subtracting the net bill credit from the dollar value of the subscription credit during the billing period. An electric company shall deduct a subscriber’s net bill credit from the monthly electric energy charges due. For a subscriber on budget billing, an electric company shall deduct a subscriber’s net bill credit from the subscriber’s monthly budget bill amount due. Subscription Billing. For each billing period in which a subscriber is enrolled in consolidated billing, the electric company shall include the following on the subscriber’s bill for electric service: The dollar value of the subscription credit during the billing period; Amount of any accrued virtual net excess generation in kilowatt-hours applied to or used in the calculation of the subscription credit applied during the billing period; The savings rate as specified by the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator under §B of this regulation; The subscription charge in dollars; The net bill credit in dollars applied under §C(3) of this regulation; and Any accrued virtual net excess generation credits in kilowatt-hours which remain banked on the subscriber’s account to be applied in a future billing period. An electric company shall, on a subscriber’s electricity bill, label the subscription components in §C(5) of this regulation as being associated with the subscriber’s community solar subscription. Remittance of Subscription Charges. Monthly Remittance. For each month that an account is subscribed to the CSEGS, an electric company shall remit to a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator of a CSEGS an amount equal to the subscription charge less the administrative fee. Annual Excess Generation Payouts. For annual virtual net excess generation payments pursuant to COMAR 20.62.02.07B, an electric company shall remit to a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator of a CSEGS an amount equal to the excess generation payment less the savings rate and administrative fee. Account Closing Excess Generation Payouts. An electric company shall remit to a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator of a CSEGS an amount equal to the excess generation payment less the savings rate and administrative fee. Cancelled Subscription Excess Generation Payouts. When a cancelled subscription results in a payout of excess generation, an electric company shall remit to a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator of a CSEGS an amount equal to the excess generation payment less the savings rate and administrative fee. Remittance Deadlines. An electric company shall remit the amount in §§D(1) and (2) of this regulation no later than 60 calendar days from the date on which the electric company determines the most recent energy reading from the CSEGS. The remittance period in §D(5)(a) of this regulation may be extended on a day for day basis until all accounts in a billing cycle are rendered. An electric company shall propose tariff language to address the situation where the remittance is not provided within 90 days. An electric company shall make a payment required under §D(1) of this regulation to a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator through: Electronic fund transfer; or Another payment method mutually agreed upon by both the subscriber organization or subscription coordinator and the electric company. An electric company shall propose an administrative fee in tariffs filed in accordance with the requirements of Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2(g)(2), Annotated Code of Maryland. Net Credit Billing Reporting. An electric company which provides consolidated billing under this regulation shall provide a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator with a report detailing each subscriber’s net credited amounts. An electric company shall provide the report described in §E(1) of this regulation no later than 60 days after the CSEGS meter reading by the electric company. The reports required by §E(1) of this regulation shall include the following items for each subscriber’s account: Billing information provided under COMAR 20.62.02.04G; Subscription charge for the billing period; Administrative fee due; Net credit amount allocation for the period; Virtual net excess generation generated in the billing period; and Cumulative virtual net excess generation carried forward to the next billing period. For a subscriber organization or subscription coordinator that uses consolidated billing, an electric company may combine the report required under §E(1) of this regulation with the report required by COMAR 20.62.02.04G. Bill Credit Record Retention. An electric company shall retain a record of bill credits applied to each subscriber’s account for a period of 7 years. An electric company may provide the administrative fee information described in §E(3)(c) of this regulation in aggregate by CSEGS. Consolidated Billing Error Reporting. An electric company shall report a summary of errors in the reports described in §E(1) of this regulation for each calendar year. Reporting Date. An electric company shall file reports as described in §F(1) of this regulation by April 1 of each year unless otherwise directed by the Commission. Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, 7-306, 7-306.1, and 7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: October 27, 2025 (52:21 Md. R. 1026)