Carroll County, MD — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

§158.153(E): Minimum setback = 40 ft from property line and adjoining property lines for infrastructure and equipment. Max height = 15 ft above existing grade. 35-ft wide vegetation buffer required; planting: 1 planting unit per 10 linear feet; trees ≥4 ft height at planting; shrubs ≥3-gallon container stock ≥24 inches at installation. Existing wooded buffer ≥50 ft may satisfy screening requirement. Dec 2024 amendment: ≥400 ft from public transportation corridors; 12-ft vegetative buffer.

CUP/Special Exception process not required — permitted use with Planning & Zoning Commission review. MD PSC CPCN required for projects ≥2 MW AC — preempts county zoning.

Conservative — farmland preservation strong; some board skepticism toward large-scale solar; ordinance provides pathway but conditions can be extensive

Conservative exurban county north of Baltimore; solar ordinance provides framework but conservative board scrutiny; active agricultural community; strong farmland preservation ethic

Worsening

Local county zoning permit: conditional use or special exception at county level; no uniform statewide solar permitting standard. PPRP (Power Plant Research Program, MD DNR): environmental review for generating facilities ≥70 MW; PSC CPCN required for projects ≥70 MW. Projects <70 MW: county-level permitting only. No statewide preemption of local solar ordinances. Net metering: systems up to 2 MW (residential up to 2× annual load). All MD in PJM territory. Maryland has the largest solar carve-out in the U.S. at 14.5% by 2028 (MD Code, PUC §7-703).

Maryland Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS): 50% by 2030; solar carve-out 14.5% by 2028 — drives strong SREC demand. Maryland SREC market: PSC-administered; ~$50-80/SREC 2023-2024 for Tier 1 Maryland SRECs. Maryland Solar Access Program (Brighter Tomorrow Act 2024): $750/kW up to $7,500 for income-qualifying residential customers. Maryland Community Solar: community solar program active statewide. Maryland PSC: approval required for utility-owned solar; IPP projects via county/local process. Utility: BGE (Eversource) serves Baltimore metro; Pepco serves Montgomery/PG County; Delmarva Power serves Eastern Shore; SMECO serves Southern MD; Potomac Edison (FirstEnergy) serves western MD.

Bear Branch Solar LLC | 4 MW | Carroll County | CPCN GRANTED (Order No. 91548: March 4 2025) — PSC Case No. 9730 Chaberton Solar Pine Rock LLC | 3 MW | Carroll County | CPCN GRANTED — PSC Case No. 9725 Chaberton Solar Sunshine LLC | 3 MW | Carroll County | Proposed order appealed December 1 2025 — PSC Case No. 9735 Carroll Providence Solar 1 and 2 LLC | 10 MW | Carroll County | Active — PSC Case No. 9858

Chaberton Solar Sunshine (3 MW) — proposed order under appeal Dec 1 2025 (Case 9735).