1. A. Terms Defined.

   1. (1) “Annual Electric System Plan Update” means the update that electric companies publish annually at the end of the distribution system planning cycle in the years that they do not publish an Electric System Plan and that contains the information in Regulation .04B of this chapter.
   2. (2) “Baseline scenario” means an expected future state of a system or situation if no new interventions or policies are implemented beyond those already in place. It serves as a point of comparison to assess the impact of proposed actions or policies.
   3. (3) “Cost-effective” means having projected benefits that are greater than projected costs while considering other factors as determined by the Commission.
   4. (4) “Demand response” means changes in electric usage by demand-side resources from their normal consumption patterns in response to changes in the price of electricity over time or to incentive payments designed to induce lower electricity use at times of high wholesale market prices or ensure system reliability.
   5. (5) “Distributed energy resource (DER)” has the meaning stated in COMAR 20.50.09.02B.
   6. (6) “Distributed generation” means the same definition as Small Generator Facility in COMAR 20.50.09.02B.
   7. (7) “Electric company” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §1-101, Annotated Code of Maryland.
   8. (8) “Energy storage device” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-216, Annotated Code of Maryland.
   9. (9) “Electric System Plan” means the plan that electric companies publish pursuant to Regulation .04J of this chapter that concludes the distribution system planning cycle.
   10. (10) “Electric vehicle (EV)” has the meaning stated in COMAR 20.50.09.02B.
   11. (11) “Goal scenario” means a potential future state of a system or situation if policy goals are fully realized and it serves as a point of comparison to assess the progress towards policy goals.
   12. (12) “Grid needs” means the need for a specific mitigating action to alleviate an identified system constraint found during the electric system planning process. The specific characteristic of the system constraint and commensurate grid need will inform the solution that will mitigate the issue.
   13. (13) “Grid services” means the dispatch and control of one or more DERs to provide service to the electric company’s electric grid pursuant to an electric company tariff, service contract between the electric company and the owner of DERs or providing transmission-level grid services by participating in PJM Interconnection, LLC wholesale markets.
   14. (14) “Hosting capacity” has the meaning stated in COMAR 20.50.09.02B.
   15. (15) “Locational value assessment” means a process that provides price signals based on the benefits and costs of deploying distributed energy resources in a specific location and over time, considering grid conditions and the potential to defer or avoid traditional electric distribution infrastructure investments.
   16. (16) “Non-wires solution (NWS)” means a project or other solution that makes use of one or more DERs, technologies, and/or leads to the introduction of new or modification of existing energy management practices, standards, or protocols to address a system constraint or provide other grid services to the electric system.
   17. (17) “Planning metrics” means quantifiable measurements used to assess performance, track progress, and/or measure success of a process that an electric company electric system plan directly affects.
   18. (18) “Preliminary Electric System Plan” means the plan that electric companies file before the annual technical conference that contains the information in Regulation .04F of this chapter.
   19. (19) “Rightsizing” has the meaning stated in COMAR 20.50.09.02B.
   20. (20) “System constraints” means specific violations caused by physical characteristics of the electric distribution system exceeding electric company planning criteria, the result of which would threaten safe and reliable delivery of power.
   21. (21) “Stakeholder” means a person who is granted leave to intervene in an electric system plan proceeding pursuant to Public Utilities Article, §3-106, Annotated Code of Maryland.
   22. (22) “Traditional wires solution” means a solution to address a system constraint that would be deferred or replaced by a non-wires solution.
   23. (23) “Virtual power plant (VPP)” has the meaning stated in Public Utilities Article, §7-216, Annotated Code of Maryland.

Authority: Public Utilities Article, §§1-101, 2-113, 2-121, 7-216, and 7-801—7-804, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: November 24, 2025 (52:23 Md. R. 1140)