Distributed Generation news and program policy for Illinois community solar, then on New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.

Note- We’re excited to present a new format for Market & Development News, designed to make the sections more readable and better present key takeaways. AHJs and developers are bolded, if applicable. Please help us improve by sharing your feedback with us!

Illinois Community Solar

📰 Market & Development News

• 3/13- Pike County greenlit a 5MW community solar facility from Madden Solar LLC, and is discussing two additional projects.

• 3/12- Effingham County proposed an ordinance to regulate wind and solar in unincorporated areas of the county, though no decision was reached.

• 3/11- Residents in St. Clair County are expressing concern over tree removal on National Grid Renewables’ Bee Hollow project.

• 3/11- Lee County received two applications for community solar projects located on agricultural land, named Mound Hill Solar I and II, filed for SUPs in Lee County.

• 3/11- Illinois had a record year for solar growth with 2.5 GW of capacity added in 2024, according to a new report from SEIA and Wood Mackenzie.

📢 Policy & Programs

• HB3265- RES AUTOMATED SOLAR PLATFORM

  • Requires municipalities with populations over 5,000 and all counties to adopt a residential automated solar permitting platform by July 1, 2026.

  • Introduced in House 2/6.

  • UPDATE- assigned to Public Utilities Committee 3/11.

• HB3231- UTILITIES- ENERGY CREDITS/CP

  • Among other changes, removes the requirement for the Illinois Power Agency to annually determine the amount of utility-scale renewable energy credits to be included in the self-direct RPS compliance program.

  • Introduced in House 2/6.

  • UPDATE- assigned to Public Utilities Committee 3/11.

• HB1166- UTILITIES- JOB TRAINING CENTERS

  • Amends Public Utilities Act to establish solar installation job training programs through major state utilities.

  • Introduced in House 1/9, assigned to Public Utilities Committee 2/11.

  • UPDATE- moved to House Utilities Subcommittee 3/11.

• HB2902- UTL- BOARD ELECT PLANNING

  • Provides that beginning on November 1, 2025, and every 3 years thereafter on November 1, all electric co-operatives, municipal power agencies, and municipalities shall file an integrated resource plan with the Illinois Power Agency.

  • AKA Municipal and Cooperative Electric Utility Planning and Transparency Act.

  • Introduced in House 2/6. Assigned to Public Utilities Committee 3/4.

  • UPDATE- moved to House Utilities Subcommittee 3/11.

• HB3758/SB2497- BATTERY STORAGE

  • Would set 15-GW energy storage target and set up a state VPP program.

  • Introduced 2/18.

  • UPDATE- Assigned to House Executive Committee 3/11.

East Coast: MD, NY, PA, VA

📰 Market & Development News

Maryland

• 3/12- County-level concerns continue to grow over the proposed Renewable Energy Certainty Act, with Kent County farmers testifying against the bill in the Senate and Caroline County officials worrying it will diminish local control.

• 3/12- Chaberton Solar will hold a 2nd public hearing for a 3MW facility in Carroll County on 4/8.

• 3/11- The Town of Bel Air has established a checklist for commercial solar installations, including fees, engineering conditions, and public authorization notices.

• 3/11- The Kent County government heard a proposal from Turning Point Energy for a 5MW community solar facility last week.

New York

• 3/13- The Town of Moreau is considering its first solar project since establishing a new solar ordinance- a 5MW system by Seaboard Solar.

• 3/13- CleanCapital will build a 12MW project on a former iron mine in St. Lawrence County.

• 3/13- SolarBank will develop a 7.2MW community solar project in Gainsville.

• 3/13- Greenbacker Renewables announced funding from an Italian banking group for its 500MW Cider Solar Park.

• 3/13- Terabase Energy secured funding from SoftBank to scale up utility solar deployment.

• 3/11- The Town of Erin adopted new zoning provisions for residential and commercial solar, laying out necessary permits and height/setback requirements.

Pennsylvania

• 3/13- PA’s Solar for Schools pilot, a grant program with bipartisan support which ran in late 2024, saw major success, with 88 schools applying for solar grants.

• 3/11- PA Governor Josh Shapiro called on lawmakers to file bills on his energy plan, which includes permitting acceleration and investment for energy projects.

• 3/10- House Republicans in PA, along with delegates from twenty other states, signed a letter asking the Trump administration to preserve Biden-era clean energy tax credits.

Virginia

• 3/13- The Richmond Office of Sustainability proposed a 5-10MW solar farm at a former landfill site in the city.

• 3/11- A Floyd County judge temporarily suspended his order that the state’s decision to leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was unlawful.

📢 Policy & Programs

Maryland

• HB1396/SB0737- Property Rights Protection Act of 2025

  • Prohibits condemnation of property to construct a power line or a solar/wind project.

  • Introduced in the Senate 1/31, House 2/7.

  • UPDATE- Senate Committee hearing held for 3/11. No vote held.

New York

• S6391

  • Would develop basic consumer education and business guidelines for geothermal, equivalent to solar projects.

  • Introduced in Senate 3/13.

• S3008B

  • Enacts major pieces of legislation needed for state environmental conservation budget for the current fiscal year, including a floating solar incentive program and increased residential solar tax credits.

  • Amended and reintroduced 3/10.

Virginia

• HB1883- Renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements.

  • Amends RPS requirements for Dominion Energy Virginia, including an increase in the annual percentage of program requirements to be met with BTM clean energy sources of 3MW or less. Also removes the requirement for a solar or wind facility to have a capacity of no less than 50kw to qualify for a third party PPA.

  • Introduced 1/6.

  • Passed House 96-0 on 1/29.

  • Passed Senate 23-17 on 2/19.

  • UPDATE- Governor’s action deadline set for midnight on 3/24.

• HB2037- Solar canopies

  • Provides that any locality may include in its land development ordinances a provision that requires that an applicant must install a solar canopy over designated parking areas. Applies only to nonresidential parking areas with 100 parking spaces or more.

  • Introduced 1/7.

  • Passed House 64-32 on 1/30. Passed Senate 40-0 on 2/11.

  • UPDATE- Governor’s action deadline set for midnight on 3/24.

• HB2024- Solar photovoltaic equipment

  • Stops prohibition of use of any material associated with solar facilities that meet EPA standards.

  • Passed Senate on 2/14. Amendments approved by House. Bill passed.

  • UPDATE- Governor’s action deadline set for midnight on 3/24.

• HB2090- Multi-family shared solar program

  • Amends the multi-family shared solar program to include facilities that are within 25 miles of a multi-family utility customer. Also adds requirements that a subscriber's net bill not fall below the minimum bill and requires that the calculation of a subscriber's minimum bill be based on the amount of kilowatt-hours billed by the utility.

  • Introduced 1/7.

  • Passed 52-43 on 1/29. Passed Senate 21-18 on 2/19.

  • UPDATE- Governor’s action deadline set for midnight on 3/24.

• HB2113- Solar Interconnection Grant Fund and Program

  • Establishes the Solar Interconnection Grant Fund and Program for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to public bodies to offset costs associated with the interconnection of solar facilities to the grid.

  • Passed House 68-30 on 2/4. Passed Senate 39-0 on 2/20.

  • UPDATE- Governor’s action deadline set for midnight on 3/24.

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