Community Solar Policy Landscape and Pathways to Meaningful Benefits: A Review of Equitable Access and Household Savings

Summary

The NREL report, "Community Solar Policy Landscape and Pathways to Meaningful Benefits," reviews U.S. community solar policies as of September 2024, focusing on equitable access and household savings. As of August 2024, 24 states and localities have enabling legislation, contributing to 7.87 GWac of deployed community solar, with an additional 8.0 GWac planned for the next two years, aiming for a total of 15.9 GWac. A key finding is that 17 states have implemented LMI carve-outs, and 10 states mandate minimum household savings for subscribers. Notable updates include Minnesota's 2023 program targeting 100 MW annually for 2024–2026 with 30% LMI capacity carve-out, and Maryland's permanent program mandating 40% LMI allocation. Federally, the EPA's $7 billion Solar for All program aims to deploy 4 GW of distributed solar, requiring at least 20% electricity bill savings for low-income participants.

Key Facts

Source Document

https://example-government.gov/policy-document-link