In a press release issued by the Governor’s office, Governor Martin O’Malley has prioritized solar electricity in his 2010 agenda. He plans to increase the solar RPS requirement in the earlier years. Currently, compared to other states, Maryland’s RPS solar requirement increases exponentially in the later years. It appears the Governor is planning to straighten out the growth path so that more solar is required earlier.  This is great news for the industry in Maryland in the next five years because it allows the state to remain competitive with other states in the region while the solar industry is in its formative years. Hopefully this will help establish the state at the foreground of industry along with New Jersey and Delaware.  Here are the specific agenda items relating to the solar RPS:

• This legislation will accelerate Maryland’s solar RPS requirements in the early years (2011 – 2017), resulting in more residential and commercial solar installation and greater job creation.
• It will make the phase-in of the Solar RPS more evenly distributed over the next decade and provide more long-term support for Maryland‘s growing solar industry.  This change will put the State’s solar goals more in line with New Jersey and Delaware.
• Additional solar energy in Maryland will decrease peak load electricity prices in the summertime, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by displacing fossil-fueled powered generation, create new green jobs, and help Maryland meet its renewable energy goals.