It’s a critical moment for rooftop solar in Maryland.

 

As lawmakers consider updates to the state’s Net Energy Metering (NEM) program and Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), it’s essential to protect what works today while building a forward-looking framework that supports affordability, reliability, and continued market growth.

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What is Net Metering?

 

Net energy metering is the policy that allows homeowners with rooftop solar to receive credit on their electricity bill for the excess power their system sends back to the grid. When a solar system produces more electricity than a home uses — typically during sunny daytime hours — that surplus energy flows to the grid, and the utility provides a bill credit that can be used to offset electricity consumption at other times, such as at night or during winter months. In Maryland, these credits are generally applied at the retail electricity rate, helping homeowners maximize the value of every kilowatt-hour they generate while reducing their overall energy costs.

 

Protect Existing Solar Customers

 

Marylanders who’ve already invested in rooftop solar made long-term decisions based on clearly defined rules. Any transition to a new NEM structure must honor those commitments, and existing customers should remain on their current compensation structure for the lifetime of their system.

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Protecting these customers maintains a stable marketplace, preserves trust, and ensures families aren’t penalized for making clean energy investments.

 

Ensure a Seamless Transition

 

A successful transition to a new net metering program should be predictable and continuous. Gaps or unclear deadlines between the current and successor programs can create confusion for homeowners and disrupt the local solar workforce.

Rooftop solar requires continuous access to net metering.

 

Customers who install solar on their property to offset their own usage base their economic decision on the NEM tariff that’s available at the point of sale. When a customer submits their interconnection application after having made a purchase decision, their expectation around savings and economics is locked in — and any change to the rules after the step in the process would upend this.

 

If there’s a likelihood of NEM rules changes, we may see the market chill months before the new net metering paradigm (anticipated on July 1, 2028) is available.

 

Expand the Role of Solar + Storage

 

Rooftop solar paired with battery storage is one of the fastest and most effective ways to strengthen Maryland’s energy system. Solar + storage can:

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• Lower peak demand and reduce strain on the grid

• Improve reliability during outages

• Help avoid costly infrastructure upgrades

 

Future policy should actively support storage adoption and align with time-of-use (TOU) rates and emerging virtual power plant (VPP) programs that reward customers for contributing energy when it’s needed most.

 

Real-World Expertise in Policymaking

 

Effective policy depends on practical insight: Maryland should ensure that residential solar providers, installers, and consumer advocates have a formal role in shaping future programs. These experts’ on-the-ground experience is essential to designing policies that work in practice — not just in theory.​

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