Carroll County commissioners are seeking reelection amid ongoing challenges to local control over solar energy development on farmland, which has been increasingly constrained by state legislation. The five incumbent commissioners, who ran in 2022 on a platform aimed at limiting solar farms on agricultural land, find their ability to enforce these restrictions curtailed by Maryland’s 2025 Renewable Energy Certainty Act.
All five seats on the Board of Carroll County Commissioners — held by Joe Vigliotti (District 1), Ken Kiler (District 2), Tom Gordon (District 3), Michael Guerin (District 4), and Susan Krebs (District 5) — are up for election in Tuesday’s Republican primary. Contested races are limited to the seats of Kiler and Krebs, the latter having been appointed in 2025 to fill a vacancy.
After taking office, the commissioners moved to impose tighter zoning restrictions on solar projects, particularly targeting their expansion into agricultural zones. In 2023, they unanimously approved a moratorium on community solar projects in farming areas and later removed provisions that allowed solar facilities on farmland. However, the 2025 state law restricted counties’ ability to block or heavily regulate solar installations, effectively limiting the commissioners’ local authority.
The board’s reaction to the state preemption was divided. While some members resisted incorporating state mandates into county code, others supported updating local regulations to at least align with the new legal framework. In October 2025, the commissioners voted 4-1 to amend county code for compliance, with Krebs dissenting. They also tasked staff with investigating stronger decommissioning rules for solar farms.
Commissioner Kiler criticized the law as a broad, one-size-fits-all approach that undermines local control across a geographically diverse state. He further expressed skepticism about renewable energy's role, emphasizing Maryland's ongoing reliance on imported energy and the continued importance of fossil fuels. Kiler described the state’s policies as a loss for local governance but praised the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) for mitigating some impacts.
Commissioners Vigliotti, Krebs, and Kiler have maintained that large-scale solar developments are inappropriate on productive farmland. Krebs suggested that solar installations would be better suited for impervious surfaces such as rooftops rather than agricultural land. Vigliotti highlighted ongoing collaboration with the county’s state delegation and MACo to advocate for changes to state policy that would restore more local say in solar project siting.
Despite the limitations imposed by state legislation, the commissioners expressed commitment to continue their efforts in protecting agricultural land and shaping renewable energy development through advocacy and regulatory measures. Commissioners Guerin and Gordon were unavailable for comment.