Dorchester County, MD — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

State floor per HB1036/SB931 (eff. Jul 1 2025): ≤100 ft from property lines; ≤150 ft from non-participating residences. No county-specific setbacks above state floor.

County Board of Appeals/Board of Commissioners: Special Exception or Conditional Use Permit in applicable zoning district.

Neutral/moderate — agricultural revenue interest; wetland constraints; limited solar history

Flat rural Eastern Shore; extensive tidal wetlands limit siting; Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge nearby; agricultural land available; limited solar market; no ordinance

Stable

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.

Solar development in Dorchester County (Eastern Shore — Cambridge area). Delmarva Power serves Dorchester County. Active agricultural land on Delmarva Peninsula; CSI/REG pipeline. Maryland RPS 50% by 2030 driving development in rural Eastern Shore.

No confirmed Maryland PSC CPCN denial or county-level rejection on record for Dorchester County. HB 1036/SB 931 (eff. Jul 1 2025) Renewable Energy Certainty Act: limits county authority to deny ≥1 MW solar — preempts local ordinances more restrictive than state standards (≤100 ft from property line; ≤150 ft from dwelling; ≥5 MW not in Planned Growth Areas). Source: MD HB 1036/SB 931 (2025); MD PSC