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October 6, 2025
States Modernize Solar Programs as the Power Sector Evolves
From net metering reforms to community solar expansions, recent actions aim to align distributed energy policies with grid reliability, equity, and customer protections.
States across the U.S. are updating solar programs to better integrate them into the electricity grid. Lawmakers and regulators are refining incentives, rate designs, and interconnection rules to ensure…Read the full report
Key Takeaways
- Massachusetts has finalized regulations for its SMART 3.0 program, notably implementing an annual assessment to set yearly program capacity and incentive rates instead of the declining rate block structure used in previous versions.
- Maine regulators have initiated a rulemaking to amend the states' net energy billing rules including changing the tariff rate program calculations to reduce subsidy and strengthening customer protections for the kilowatt-hour program participants.
- The California Supreme Court has remanded a lower court decision that upheld the state’s net energy metering successor tariff, finding that the lower court applied an unduly deferential standard of review.
