For those who don’t know, HB-1036 and SB-0931 represent the greatest threat to Maryland’s rural communities and agro-economy in the State’s history. It’s not an overstatement to say that. Both bills expand the preemption powers of the Public Service Commission that were passed last year, potentially preventing a County from ALL local zoning and taxing authority concerning solar or battery storage projects. The tax dimension alone could cost a County millions in lost revenue. These preemption powers also override small municipalities too, meaning a large battery storage unit could be sited in Galena or Kennedyville or Worton and there’d be little a local community could do about it. Under 1036 and 931, farms, field and forest are all fair game so long as there’s a willing landowner ready to sign their lands over to a solar or battery storage company. And the Kent County Commissioners would pretty much be prevented from interfering to stop it. This is why Eastern Shore Counties and the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo), the Maryland Farm Bureau, the Maryland Grain Producers Association, the Delmarva Chicken Association, among numerous other organizations from across the State are all opposed to 1036 and 931.

Put in context, the State is forcing a revision of land use policy that has historically been determined at the local level through local Comprehensive Planning. Worse, under 1036 and 931, a non agricultural enterprise is being allowed – even encouraged – on agricultural land, potentially displacing thousands of productive agricultural acres in the process. In a rural County where agriculture carries the day, that threat should mean something! The economic affect could mean of tens of millions of pounds of grain taken out of the system per year.

As for electric rates, local electric rates are high due to previous decisions made by legislature. Now, in their shortsighted attempt to solve one problem, they’re on the verge of creating an even bigger one by allowing private, unregulated land speculators to masquerade as a public utilities. That would be a mistake that Marylanders should not accept. Other States like New York are already seeing the shortcomings of following the path that Maryland now finds itself on.

Finally, the coming threat is hardly a “slim to none” scenario. The rural communities of Southern New Jersey had the same initial reaction as Ms. Reeder. Sadly, the lands along the Rt. 40 Corridor in that State have been taken over by giant monoliths (battery storage and data centers) in what was once productive agricultural land and some of the most beautiful open space in the mid-Atlantic. Many residents in those jurisdictions regret not getting engaged sooner. The threat is real and if you care about the rural character of the Eastern Shore, you’ll get active and oppose HB-1036 and SB-0931.