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Maryland Governor signs clean energy bills into law

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley

Maryland has adopted a series of bills promoting the use of electric cars and solar panels in the state.

Governor Martin O’Malley signed the bills yesterday, which also included an extension of the state’s tax credits scheme for renewable energy.

Gov. O’Malley said: “Each of the bills signed into law today will provide resources and incentives for our families and workforce, create jobs, and fuel innovation as we continue to strive for a Maryland that is truly Smart, Green and Growing.”

Clean energy incentives

Among the new laws, the Maryland Clean Energy Incentive Act extends the state’s tax credits scheme for renewable energy projects to the end of 2015.

The new deadline will mean projects must now be generating power by January 1, 2016, in order to claim the credit.

Revisions were also made to the state’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, increasing the amount of solar power utilities will need to supply within their clean energy obligations.

The new legislation also extends the $400 per megawatt-hour penalty fee a utility would have to pay if it does not source enough of its electricity from solar panels each year through until 2014.

Maryland solar installer Standard Solar welcomed the new legislation as an “investment in Maryland’s emerging clean energy economy”.

Scott Wiater, the company’s President, said: “The 50-plus jobs we have created at Standard Solar over the past two years are a direct result of the Governor’s original 2007 solar law. This improves the economic multiplier that the solar industry has become and will help the solar industry and those with a stake in it to continue to grow.”

Electric vehicles

For electric vehicles, the newly-adopted legislation establishes a tax credit scheme that will pay out all of the state vehicle excise tax on a new electric vehicle sale, up to $2,000.

Electric vehicles will also be allowed to use carpool lanes in two federal highways in the state – I-270 and US Route 50 – until October 2013.