In accordance with State Government Article, §§10-130—10-139, Annotated Code of Maryland, each State agency that adopts regulations must review those regulations every 8 years, unless exempt under §10-132.1. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the regulations are necessary for the public interest, continue to be supported by statutory authority and judicial opinion, or are appropriate for amendment or repeal. The review is implemented by Executive Order 01.01.2003.20 which also sets the schedule for performing the review. The evaluation report prepared by the responsible agency is also submitted to the Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review Committee (AELR) of the General Assembly for approval. As a part of this process, MEA is presenting draft changes to COMAR 14.26.02 Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund Programs. This coincides with efforts on the part of MEA to better align program documentation, processes, and terminology to streamline and simplify the grantmaking process and to better serve Marylanders.
Additionally, recent statutory changes require or permit MEA to adopt regulations for certain programs and operations. Specifically, the authority found under State Government Article, §9-2006 as altered by Chapter 564 of the Acts of 2022 has compelled MEA to produce draft regulations for the implementation of new efficiency standards for a host of water and electrical appliances.
Public comments may be submitted via
seifcomments.mea@maryland.gov. The comment period is currently open and no end date is scheduled at this time.