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<chapter num="01" heading="General" title_num="20" subtitle_num="62">
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".01" heading="Scope.">
    <text>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.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" heading="Definitions.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>In this subtitle the following terms have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Terms Defined.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Agent.</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>“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.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>“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.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>“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.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>“Agrivoltaics” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>“Baseline annual usage” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>“Brownfield” means one of the following:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>A former industrial or commercial site identified by federal or State laws or regulations as contaminated or polluted;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>A closed municipal or rubble landfill regulated under a refuse disposal permit by the Maryland Department of the Environment; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>“Mined lands” as defined in COMAR 26.21.01.01B.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(5)">
        <text>“CAD” means the Consumer Affairs Division within the Commission pursuant to COMAR 20.32.01.02B(2).</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(6)">
        <text>“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).</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(7)">
        <text>“Commission” means the Public Service Commission of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(8)">
        <text>“Community solar energy generating system” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(9)">
        <text>“Consent” means an agreement with an action communicated by the following:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>A written document with customer signature; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>An electronic document with electronic signature.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(10)">
        <text>“Consumer” or “customer” means a retail electric customer account holder of a regulated electric company.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(11)">
        <text>“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.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(12)">
        <text>“CSEGS” means a Community solar energy generating system.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(13)">
        <text>“Ecologically compromised” means a parcel certified in writing by the state, a county, or a municipal corporation as:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Having suffered harm or damage that has resulted in a substantial disruption to the land’s natural processes, biodiversity, or ecological integrity; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Not targeted for mitigation or restoration.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(14)">
        <text>“Ecologically compromised” does not include the portions of a parcel:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>That can support agricultural operations; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Not certified by the state, a county, or municipal corporation as qualifying under paragraph (a) of this subsection.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(15)">
        <text>“Electric company” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §1-101, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(16)">
        <text>“Electronic transaction” means a standardized data protocol or electronic transmission medium that has been accepted by the Commission for use in Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(17)">
        <text>“Forest cover” has the meaning stated in Natural Resources Article, §5-1601, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(18)">
        <text>“LMI subscriber” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(19)">
        <text>“Low income” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland..</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(20)">
        <text>“Moderate income” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(21)">
        <text>“Net tract area” has the meaning stated in Natural Resources Article, §5-1601, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(22)">
        <text>“Overburdened community” has the meaning stated in Environmental Article, §1-701, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(23)">
        <text>“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.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(24)">
        <text>“Pilot program” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(25)">
        <text>“Program” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(26)">
        <text>“Public event” means an event open to the public where subscriptions to a community solar energy generation system are marketed or sold.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(27)">
        <text>“Queue” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(28)">
        <text>“Reforestation” has the meaning stated in Natural Resources Article, §5-1601, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(29)">
        <text>“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.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(30)">
        <text>“Subscriber” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(31)">
        <text>“Subscriber organization” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(32)">
        <text>“Subscription” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(33)">
        <text>“Subscription coordinator” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(34)">
        <text>“Tree” has the meaning stated in Natural Resources Article, §5-1601, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(35)">
        <text>“Underserved community” has the meaning stated in Environmental Article, §1-701, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(36)">
        <text>“Unsubscribed energy” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(37)">
        <text>“Utility” means an electric company as defined in Public Utilities Article, §1-101, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(38)">
        <text>“Virtual net energy metering” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(39)">
        <text>“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.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" heading="Electric Company Compliance Plan and Transition to Permanent Program.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>A CSEGS waitlisted by an electric company under the Pilot Program shall receive a queue position under the Program when the following occurs:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>The Program has begun under Public Utilities Article, §7-306.2(d)(20), Annotated Code of Maryland; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>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.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="E.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="F.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" heading="Waiver.">
    <text>The Commission may waive a regulation in this subtitle for good cause shown.</text>
  </regulation>
  <annotations>
    <annotation type="Authority">Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, 7-306, 7-306.1, and 7-306.2, Annotated Code of Maryland</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Effective date: July 18, 2016 (43:14 Md. R. 781)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .01 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .02B amended effective March 21, 2022 (49:6 Md. R. 406); March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .03 amended effective March 3, 2025 (52:4 Md. R. 221)</annotation>
  </annotations>
</chapter>