Full Title: Community Solar Policy Landscape and Pathways to Meaningful Benefits: A Review of Equitable Access and Household Savings
Author(s): Kaifeng Xu, Sarah Nabirye, and Simon Sandler
Publisher(s): National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date: November 8, 2024
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Description (excerpt):
As of August 2024, community solar legislation and policies have been implemented in 24 U.S. states and localities, including the District of Columbia. These policies have driven significant growth in the community solar market. The states that have enacted legislation accounting for over 62.8% of the country’s installed capacity. Community solar policy designs are evolving, with many states expanding programs, enhancing equitable access, and ensuring household savings.
This report focuses primarily on recent policy trends concerning equitable access and household savings. Several leading states have updated their programs to extend access, particularly to low- and moderate-income customers. Seventeen states now have carve-outs for income-qualified customers, with a notable increase in the size and number of these carve-outs in recent years. States are also using various methods to determine income qualification, mainly household income, geographic eligibility, and categorical eligibility. Furthermore, policies increasingly mandate household savings for community solar subscribers, with 10 states requiring some form of savings. This emphasis on financial benefits is reinforced by new federal initiatives like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All program.