Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Unveils the County has Achieved Platinum Status for its Transformational Solar Leadership from SolSmart

ELLICOTT CITY, MD - Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced Howard County Government has achieved SolSmart’s Platinum designation, the highest level awarded, for its solar leadership. Photos from the event can be found on the County’s Flickr webpage and video on the County Executive’s Facebook page.

Led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, SolSmart is a national program that helps cities, towns, counties, and regional organizations become solar energy leaders. SolSmart provides no-cost technical assistance to assist local governments in following the best national practices to expand solar energy use in their jurisdictions. In turn, SolSmart recognizes and celebrates these communities with its Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze designations.

To date, 570 local governments in 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico have achieved a SolSmart designation. Howard County is just the eighth local government in the nation to earn SolSmart’s Platinum designation.

In assessing the County, SolSmart evaluated the County across five areas: 

1. Permitting and Inspection;
2. Planning and Zoning;
3. Government Operations;
4. Community Engagement; and
5. Market Development.

On each metric, the County rose to the challenge – innovating, training, documenting, problem-solving, and improving its processes with both speed and integrity, with one of the most exciting innovations coming from the County’s Department of Inspections, Licenses, and Permits (DILP). To help improve the County’s solar permitting process, DILP recently modified and reconfigured its permitting software to allow for the instant issuance of permits for residential rooftop solar panels. These updates have allowed DILP to launch its new Solar Express permit process that allows residents and contractors to apply online, upload documents, pay, and obtain the necessary permit to add solar panels to residential rooftops. This new instant process will reduce barriers and help families and businesses adopt solar power more quickly.

“We’re excited to be part of the efforts that led to receiving this designation. More than anything, it’s a recognition of the work our entire County team has been doing, as well as our commitment to encouraging clean, renewable sources of energy,” said Bob Frances, DILP Director.

Since taking office, Ball’s administration has been hard at work harnessing the power of the sun as an energy source, but also to help protect the natural world and make Howard County more prosperous and resilient in the face of threats posed by the upward spiral of energy prices.

In 2020, Ball executed the largest solar power purchase agreement (PPA) in Maryland’s history with KDC Solar, Inc. at no capital cost to the County and providing a total anticipated cost benefit of $30 million over the 25-year life of the contract. To date, this PPA has delivered 18 solar projects on County properties, including nine ground mounted arrays, seven rooftop solar systems, and two solar parking canopies. The agreement has also generated a monumental 32,000,000 kilowatt-hours a year, which covers more than 50 percent of the County’s electricity usage and is the equivalent of taking more than 4,500 cars off the roads or planting more than 323,400 trees.

Additionally, through improved County processes and partnerships with non-profits like Solar United Neighbors, Civic Works, and others, solar capacity in Howard County has grown by nearly 40 percent in just two years, reaching 140 megawatts this year. This is more than one-third of the County’s Climate Forward: Climate Action and Resiliency Plan’s 2030 goal in our Climate Forward plan of 437 megawatts of solar power by 2030.

In August 2025, Ball joined Howard County Public School System Superintendent (HCPSS) Bill Barnes and Howard Community College (HCC) President Dr. Daria Willis to sign a groundbreaking memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance collaboration between the three entities and strengthen local action on climate and sustainability. The first major step of that MOU is now under negotiation, a second solar PPA that will expand clean energy projects across County, HCPSS, and HCC properties. Once complete, these projects will deliver significant cost savings, new clean-energy jobs, and meaningful progress toward the County’s 2030 Climate Forward goals, again, with no upfront costs to taxpayers.

Finally, Ball also directed his team to create a “Solar Energy Task Force” this past summer in order to accelerate solar development in Howard County. As part of their responsibility, the Task Force engaged with SolSmart to help streamline the County’s systems even further.

Here’s what others had to say about the County’s SolSmart Platinum designation:  

• Tim Lattimer, Administrator, Office of Community Sustainability – “Clean energy is cheap energy, so the best way to get both affordable and reliable electricity is to move fast to deploy clean energy. By doing so, we aren't sacrificing prosperity – we are securing it.”
• Mary Kendall, Deputy Director, Department of Planning and Zoning – “Under Dr. Ball’s leadership, our Zoning Regulations have evolved to create a solar-friendly permitting process for residential, commercial and industrial property owners. We have removed nearly all zoning barriers for rooftop solar collectors, empowering property owners to say ‘yes’” to renewable energy choices in their own backyards.”
• Luke Smith, Senior Vice President for Development, CI Renewables – “In collaboration with Howard County Government, CI Renewables is proud to have helped deliver the largest Power Purchase Agreement in Maryland—demonstrating the County’s ability to chart bold, outside-the-box solutions to major energy challenges. By strategically utilizing public and private land, the project delivers the lowest available power rates while maximizing benefits for County residents.”
• Cherie Brooks, CEO, Power52 – “Howard County’s Platinum SolSmart designation is more than a milestone, it's a signal that our community is committed to building a resilient, equitable clean-energy future. For Power52, headquartered right here in Howard County, this recognition strengthens the environment in which our trainees work, our employers operate, and our mission thrives. A county that leads on solar creates new pathways for underserved residents to gain skills, access careers, and contribute directly to the clean-energy transition.”
• John Lennon Miller, Vice President of Market Development, Chaberton Energy – “I applaud Howard County for its leadership in advancing renewable energy to address the energy affordability crisis while combatting the real threat of climate change. The SolSmart Platinum designation is clear evidence of the County's success in this critical area.”
• Kim Pezza, Chair, Howard County Environmental Sustainability Board – “At a time when our federal administration is recklessly dismantling policy that supports renewable energy, local governments have become indispensable drivers for the clean energy transition.”
• John Gardiner, Partner and Founder, OME Solar – “Howard County’s commitment to sustainability and streamlined permitting has reduced the uncertainty for solar developers, lowered project costs, and accelerated delivery.”
• Ally Niphakis, Board President, Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association (CHESSA) – “On behalf of CHESSA, I applaud Howard County for earning SolSmart Platinum. This recognition reflects the County’s leadership in creating an efficient, transparent permitting and planning environment—exactly the kind of local action that helps solar projects move from concept to construction more quickly and affordably.”
• John Shields, Senior Manager, Pivot Energy - "Howard County is very deserving of this recognition and sets the example in how community solar projects should be built. It collaborated with Pivot Energy on several projects and has worked proactively to build an environment where sustainable energy projects can prosper."