Solar energy represents one of the best long-term hopes for Maryland to cut its consumption of fossil fuels and emissions of carbon dioxide, as well as provide stability to the electric grid. By supporting the development of solar energy now, Maryland can be in a better position to fully reap the benefits in the decades ahead.
Solar energy is growing as a part of the generation of electricity in Maryland and around the country. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar thermal technologies have the potential to make a major contribution to a clean energy future. In recent years, Maryland has become the home of many companies working on solar energy that employ Marylanders and help our state transition towards its clean energy future. We have the potential to grow that industry and harness the power of the sun to meet our energy needs in the short- and long-term.
Solar energy is practical for Maryland, as is speeding up the progress we make in transitioning to more solar rooftops in our state. Installing a 377 square foot solar panel on the roof of a home would yield one-third of a household's annual electricity needs, with periods of highest generation on hot summer days, coinciding with periods of greatest demand for air conditioning. Solar panels on homes, one-fourth of which would be ready for solar installation right now, could dramatically boost renewable energy generation across the state.
Thanks to legislation passed in 2007, Maryland's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) has a 2% carve-out specifically for solar generation. The RPS is the state's primary policy vehicle for increasing renewable energy development, and the carve-out is the best way to ensure solar energy is a vital part of that growth.
This legislation's ramp-up of the solar carve-out would help the businesses that have grown in the last few years, increasing the demand for solar energy systems and employing more people in green collar jobs. Solar power creates three times as many jobs per megawatt as coal power does.
Passing HB 471 would help speed the development of solar power in Maryland and aid in the continued expansion of our home-grown solar industry.
