Baltimore city, Maryland solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 15 ft (commercial alternative energy system) maximum height. Wind: 65 ft (ground-mounted wind energy system) maximum height, 60 dBA (measured at the closest neighboring inhabited dwelling) noise limit. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 8, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
1 figure read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Maximum heightcommercial alternative energy system(i) for a commercial alternative energy system, the system may not exceed 15 feet in height; | 15 ft |
Source: Baltimore city ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
3 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackground-mounted wind alternative energy systems, guy wire anchors(2) No part of the wind system structure, including guy wire anchors, may extend closer than 10 feet to any lot line. | 10 ft |
Maximum heightground-mounted wind energy system(1) The maximum height of any ground-mounted wind energy system is 65 feet or 20 feet above the tree line, whichever is greater. | 65 ft |
Noise limitmeasured at the closest neighboring inhabited dwelling(1) Except as provided in this subsection, wind alternative energy systems may not exceed 60 dBA, as measured at the closest neighboring inhabited dwelling. | 60 dBA |
Source: Baltimore city ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Maryland state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Maryland rules and counties.
State siting: Maryland Public Service Commission
Solar over 2 MW needs a Public Service Commission certificate or approval before construction.
Public Utilities Article 7-207, 7-207.1, 7-207.4, 7-218. Source
Limits on local rules
Counties and towns cannot ban solar of more than 1 MW or deny a site plan that meets the state standards, with some exceptions.
Public Utilities Article 7-218(h) (Renewable Energy Certainty Act, Ch. 624 of 2025). Source
Solar standards in state law
Applies to ground-mounted solar over 1 MW (AC) that sells wholesale, is community solar or is aggregate net metered; the owner must meet these figures, and a county or town may not ban such solar or deny a site plan that meets them. A siting agreement with the county may set looser terms; agrivoltaics are exempt from the figures.
| Homes (non-participating) | 150 ft |
| Property line (non-participating) | 100 ft |
| Fence height | 20 ft max, no barbed wire |
| Public roads | 50 ft (fence from road right-of-way) |
| Panel height (average) | 15 ft average |
| Screening buffer width | 35 ft max |
| Berms | County may not require |
| Decommissioning | Bond up to 125% of cost, with the PSC |
Md. Code, Public Utilities 7-218(b), (f), (g), (h) (Renewable Energy Certainty Act, Ch. 623 of 2025). Source
Every Maryland figure in one spreadsheet
79 figures from 11 counties and 1 town or township, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus Maryland state law.
How these figures were read
We found Baltimore city's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
How tall can a solar farm be in Baltimore city, MD?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 15 ft (commercial alternative energy system). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the wind turbine setbacks in Baltimore city, MD?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 10 ft (ground-mounted wind alternative energy systems, guy wire anchors) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.