Scope
Chapter 411 of 2024 (Senate Bill 474, the Critical Infrastructure Streamlining Act of 2024) defines critical infrastructure to include a data center as defined in Tax-General 11-239, excludes from the Public Utilities definition of "generating station" certain on-site emergency backup generating units at critical infrastructure sites that meet the act's conditions (so they do not need a certificate of public convenience and necessity), requires annual operating reports on those units to the Department of the Environment, and directs 15% of certain corporate income tax revenue attributable to qualified data centers operational on or after 1 January 2026 to the Strategic Energy Investment Fund.
- Geographic scope
- Maryland
- Jurisdiction
- State
- Authority type
- Legislature
- Issuing authority
- Maryland General Assembly
Dates
- Adopted
- 9 May 2024
- Effective
- 1 July 2024
- Scheduled expiration
- See completion condition
- Ended
- Not recorded as ended
- Completion condition
- The act states no expiration. Report dates (1 December 2025 and later) are compliance deadlines.
- Source document
- The source page states no document date
- Last checked
- 23 September 2026 (earlier than tracker date 5 October 2026; not an automatic status change)
Summary
Maryland Senate Bill 474 of 2024, chapter 411, treats data centers as critical infrastructure and removes qualifying on-site emergency backup generators at critical infrastructure sites from the certificate of public convenience and necessity requirement, while keeping a Department of the Environment permit to construct and adding annual operating reports. It also sends 15% of certain corporate income tax revenue from qualified data centers that begin operating on or after 1 January 2026 to the Strategic Energy Investment Fund. The Governor approved it on 9 May 2024 and it took effect on 1 July 2024.
What this does not establish
- The chapter PDF renders amendment strike-outs as plain text, so the full list of conditions for the backup-generation exclusion is summarized rather than quoted in full.
- The act does not exempt backup generators from Department of the Environment air permits.
- Later changes to Public Utilities Title 7 by the 2026 Utility RELIEF Act were not reconciled against this act.
Unresolved questions
- Whether chapter 353 of 2026 altered the backup-generation exclusion for data centers was not established.
Relationships
Supersession means a later instrument replaces the earlier legal effect. Repeal links identify the repeal instrument and the measure it ends. A later implementation or related letter is not treated as a replacement unless the record says so.
- No related action is recorded.
Sources
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/Chapters_noln/CH_411_sb0474e.pdf