1. DC
State Community Solar Policy Trends National Conference of State Legislatures Webinar June 7, 2018
Autumn Proudlove
Senior Manager of Policy Research
NC Clean Energy Technology Center

2. About the NC Clean Energy Technology Center
Public Service Center administered by the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University
Mission is to advance a sustainable energy economy by educating, demonstrating and providing support for clean energy technologies practices, and policies. 
Objective research, analysis, & technical assistance – no advocacy
Manage the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE –

3. About the 50 States of Solar
Quarterly publication detailing state and utility distributed solar policy & rate design changes
Includes changes to state community solar policies
Regulatory actions, bills passing at least one chamber
States, IOUs, public power utilities with >100,000 customers
Provide complimentary copies to state legislators and regulators

4. Community Solar Policies and Programs
Enacted Community Solar Policy
Active Utility-Involved Program
No Policy DC
19 States + DC have a statewide community solar policy
Information from the NC Clean Energy Technology Center and the Smart Electric Power Alliance (2017 Solar Market Snapshot) 4

5. Q1 2018 Action on Community Solar Policy
No recent action
15 States took action on community solar policy during Q1 2018 5

6. Community Solar Policies
New states are slowly adopting statewide community solar enabling policies
Maryland (May 2015)
Oregon (March 2016)
Rhode Island (July 2016)
Illinois (December 2016)
Virginia (March 2017)
North Carolina (July 2017)
New Jersey (May 2018)

7. Community Solar Policies
Examples of new policies under consideration in 2018:
Louisiana – PSC Staff’s proposed revised net metering rules would allow community net metering
Connecticut – S.B. 336 creates a statewide 300 MW community solar program (passed Senate, but session has adjourned)
Virginia – S.B. 313 – creates a new program allowing third parties to own & operate projects – carried over to 2019
Maryland – H.B. 878 would have made the pilot program permanent (legislation did not advance)
Washington – H.B would have created a community solar gardens program

8. Community Solar Policy Trends
Each state’s policy looks very different – virtual net metering, community solar gardens, utility-led community solar
Virtual or Group Net Metering
Ex. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont
“Community Solar Gardens”, “Shared Renewables”, etc.
Ex. Colorado, Minnesota
Utility-Led Community Solar
Ex. North Carolina, Virginia

9. Community Solar Policy Trends
State programs have different system size limits, program caps, and other requirements.
State
System Size
Program Cap
Colorado
2 MW
Varies by utility DC
5 MW
Unlimited
Hawaii
3 MW (Oahu), 1 MW (others)
Phase 1: 8 MW, Phase 2: 64 MW
Maryland
200 MW
Minnesota
1 MW
New Jersey
TBD by Board of Public Utilities
New York
North Carolina
40 MW
Vermont
500 kW
Virginia
50 MW

10. Community Solar Policy Trends
States are considering new approaches to credit rates for community solar participants
Retail rate credit
Avoided cost rate credit
Value of solar credit
Time-varying credit
Location-based credit
Follows ongoing discussion of net metering credit rates across the country – net metering credit changes typically apply to virtual net-metered systems as well
Ex. Maine, Vermont

11. Credit Rate Description
State
Credit Rate Description
Colorado
Total aggregate retail rate
Hawaii
Phase I: Flat credit rates, based on mid-day rates
Phase II: Time-varying credit rates
Maryland
Retail rate
Minnesota
Value of solar rate
New Jersey
TBD by Board of Public Utilities
New York
Value of solar rate (includes credit for energy, capacity, demand reduction, locational system relief value, and environmental value)
North Carolina
Avoided cost rate
Oregon
Value of solar rate (under development)
Vermont
Blended residential retail rate; all production is subject to credit adjustors (positive and negative) based on system size, site location, and REC ownership

12. Community Solar Policy Trends
States are working to increase opportunities for low-income customers to participate in community solar programs
Establishing carve-outs within community solar programs for low-income participants
Maryland – 60 MW set aside for projects focused on LMI customers
Connecticut S.B. 336 – 10% carve-out for low-income customers
Providing incentives for low-income community solar projects or locating projects in designated “environmental justice areas”
Illinois Solar for All program
Massachusetts SMART program
New York PSC Staff proposal

13. Community Solar Policy Trends
Developing community solar programs as part of other low-income energy programs
California – pilot project proposed as part of effort to develop alternative energy options for disadvantaged communities in the San Joaquin Valley
New Hampshire – June 2017 net metering decision called for LMI pilot projects
Ensuring low-income housing providers can participate
Providing financing options for low-income participants
Developing outreach and education plans

14. Community Solar Policy Takeaways
Very likely to continue seeing states adopt new community solar policies, primarily through legislative action
Legislative language is important – program details are often worked out in a regulatory proceeding, but legislative framework impacts program success
Will continue seeing a focus on credit rates, especially movement toward value-based credit rates
Will continue seeing efforts to increase low-income participation

15. Thank you! Autumn Proudlove Senior Manager of Policy Research
NC Clean Energy Technology Center