Howard County solar bonds.
From $100.
Before a solar energy facility is approved in Howard County, the developer must post a decommissioning bond guaranteeing the panels and infrastructure are removed and the site restored at end of life. The County sets the amount from the estimated decommissioning cost, and the price is 4% of the bond amount, $100 minimum.
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How much does a Howard County solar bond cost?
4% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
Howard County conditions solar approval on the decommissioning bond. Here is the whole process:
Apply online
Your business details, the decommissioning bond amount from your Howard County requirement, and the effective date — plus a one-time consent to a possible soft credit check.
Reviewed & approved
Decommissioning bonds run larger, so they get a brief underwriting review; an underwriter reaches out within 48 hours if anything else is needed. One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
File with Howard County
Pay online and receive the executed bond, ready to post with Howard County for your solar facility approval. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the Howard County bond guarantees
A utility-scale or community solar energy facility has a finite life. Howard County requires a decommissioning bond so that, when the facility is retired, there is money in place to remove the panels and related infrastructure and restore the site — preventing it from being left as an abandoned hazard or blight on the community.
It is a three-party arrangement: the developer (the principal), the surety, and Howard County (the obligee). If the facility is not properly decommissioned at end of life, the County can recover against the bond to remove the equipment and restore the land.
It is not insurance for the developer. If the County draws on the bond and the surety pays, the developer repays the surety. The bond amount is typically sized to up to 125% of the estimated decommissioning cost, less salvage value, and is reviewed over the life of the facility.
You need this bond if you are
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The bond runs to December 31 whatever day you buy; the premium covers the period to that date.
Renewal falls on the statutory date, December 31, in the year your term ends.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
File with Howard County. Pay online and receive the executed bond, ready to post with Howard County for your solar facility approval. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is 4% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application: approved instantly, or after a quick credit check.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Decommissioning bonds run larger, so they get a brief review before issuance.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Maryland bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Howard County solar approval needs this bond.
From $100, short application, executed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.