**UPCOMING MEA FY25 GRANT PROGRAM - NOT YET OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS**

Program Purpose: The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is pleased to announce its upcoming FY25 Maryland SolarAPP+ Implementation Grant Program, which will provide grants to Maryland counties, cities, towns, and other Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), to help pay the costs associated with implementing the free-to-use U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory SolarAPP+ solar permitting software for their communities. The Maryland General Assembly passed the 2024 Brighter Tomorrow Act (S.B. 783, Chapter 595, 2024 Acts of Maryland), which requires Maryland local jurisdictions to adopt streamlined solar permitting software selected by and under the direction of MEA.​ MEA has determined that the NREL SolarAPP+ permitting platform meets the requirements for the software as outlined in the Brighter Tomorrow Act.  SolarAPP+ was designed by NREL to provide an automated, streamlined, easy-to-use permitting system to quickly process applications and reduce installation timelines. Please see the sections below for more information on this upcoming MEA grant program. For full information on the SolarAPP+ software platform, visit NREL’s SolarAPP+ webpage.

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Program Description:​ ​The Maryland SolarAPP+ Implementation Grant Program will be offered to Maryland authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs, e.g., county, city, town, village, etc.) on a first-come, first-served basis. Full eligibility requirements will be provided in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), which will be posted later this summer when the program opens for applications. Specifically, funds will be provided to help pay for the costs associated with implementing the SolarAPP+ permitting software. This is currently envisioned to include, but not be limited to, contractual support, staff training costs, software integration costs, and others.​

Type of Grant Program:       Noncompetitive, first-come, first-served

Anticipated Budget: Final budget figures are still under development. Note: MEA anticipates that this program will be federally-funded. Awardees will need to adhere to federal funding requirements, as applicable. More information about these requirements will be provided when the program FOA is published later this summer.

Program Documents: The Maryland SolarAPP+ Implementation Grant Program FOA is not yet available, but will be posted later this summer. Soon, MEA will post a Notice of Intent and Request for Information (NOI-RFI) that will provide basic program design information, as well as seek feedback from Maryland AHJs, solar industry stakeholders, and the public at large to help inform the ultimate design of the new Maryland SolarAPP+ Implementation Grant Program.

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Program Contact:      For more information on this upcoming MEA funding opportunity, please contact:

                                       David Comis, Senior Clean Energy Program Manager
                                       Email: SolarAPP.MEA@Maryland.gov
                                         Phone: 443.908.1743

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