Note: This is a proof of concept for Spark Alerts, focusing on Illinois community solar, then on New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Please help us improve by sharing your feedback with us!

Illinois Community Solar

📰 Market & Development News

• 4/10- LaSalle County passed a resolution asserting its right to control siting for large renewable energy projects, and is urging the state to repeal a law stripping counties of that authority.

• 4/10- Champaign County held a public hearing for an SUP on a 135-MW solar project on agricultural land by BayWa r.e.

• 4/10- DeWitt County is considering establishing a battery energy system ordinance.

📢 Policy & Programs

• No community solar policy updates.

East Coast: MD, NY, PA, VA

📰 Market & Development News

Maryland

• 4/10- Climate advocates are celebrating Maryland’s recent legislative package as a mixed bag, praising bills that limit gas investments and streamline community solar/BESS permitting, but wary of legislation that expedites new gas and nuclear plants.

• 4/9- Altus Power has acquired ten community solar projects from Prospect14, totaling 58.4 MW.

• 4/8- Baltimore County delayed a vote on a law that would effectively kill a proposed solar farm, after the state legislature passed the Renewable Energy Certainty Act (SB931), standardizing local laws and preventing counties from making zoning changes that kill projects.

New York

• 4/9- Castillo Engineering and Northern Sun Energy have been awarded three new community solar projects in from Seaboard Solar in Kinderhook, Wilton and East Greenbush, totaling 31.49 MWDC

• 4/9- Moss Ridge Solar withdrew an application for a siting permit to construct a 60-MW solar project in St. Lawrence County.

• 4/9- The New York PSC ruled that no evidentiary hearing was necessary for a CPCN on ConnectGen’s 270 MW solar plus storage project in Chautauqua County.

• 4/8- Greenbacker’s 500-MW Cider Solar farm in Genesee County, the largest solar project in NY, received an ORES permit approval.

Pennsylvania

• 4/10- Franklin Township held a public hearing to discuss a proposed ordinance limiting solar to Industrial and Commercial zones and establishing permit requirements.

• 4/10- Lehigh Township heard a zoning variance request from Trinity Solar to install a 4MW accessory solar system, exceeding the Township’s 3MW limit.

Virginia

• 4/9- Scott County approved two special use permits for solar projects by Pivot Energy.

📢 Policy & Programs

New York

• S02470/A06198

  • Provides for a tax abatement for electric energy storage equipment placed in service after January 1, 2027 and before January 1, 2029.

  • Introduced in Senate 1/21, House sister bill 2/27

  • UPDATE- First Senate reading 4/8, second reading 4/9. Moved to third reading.

📋 RFP Opportunities

Illinois

• IPA Summer 2025 Indexed Wind, Solar Brownfield & Hydropower RFP

  • The IPA will hold a webcast on the Summer 2025 Indexed RFP on 5/28. RSVP here.

• Misc

  • Bidprime lists three paywalled opportunities for small-scale solar RFPs.

Maryland

• Maryland Solar For All has indicated that it will soon open its selection process for low-income solar contractors, and has opened an RFP for a grant management specialist.

Michigan

• DTE Energy Storage RFP

  • MI DTE announced an RFP for standalone energy storage projects to support its CleanVision IRP, with about 450MW total capacity. Bidders can register company information on the PowerAdvocate website. Bids are due 6/27.

• Agriculture and Rural Business Energy Incentive Program

  • The Michigan Department of Environment has issued an RFP for renewable energy projects for farms, agribusinesses, and rural businesses/nonprofits. The RFP will close on 4/25, with grants expected to go out by 8/31.

Missouri

• MDNR Grid Resilience Formula Funding (GRFF) Subgrants

  • Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources is offering $13 million in total funding to “improve the all-hazards resilience of the electric grid against disruptive events and prevent outages” for projects located in Missouri.

• Missouri Green Banc: Applications for Energy Improvement Project Funding

  • Missouri Green Banc has an open RFP to solicit proposals to finance energy improvement projects. Applicants may “propose transactions that facilitate the financing of clean energy projects in Missouri”. This is an ongoing solicitation open to proposers in connection with a range of clean energy projects and businesses.

Ohio

• SOPEC Solar Development Planning

  • The Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC) is requesting competitive proposals from solar developers to bundle a variety of behind-the-meter solar arrays into a unified PPA, with an option to purchase the solar arrays after the PPA term. No submission date is listed. Submissions are due by email.

Pennsylvania

• PA Department of Commerce Solar Energy Program

  • The Solar Energy Program provides grants and loans to promote the generation and use of solar energy and the manufacture or assembly of solar equipment in Pennsylvania, up to $3 per watt. Applications are currently being accepted on a rolling basis.

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