Spark Alerts: April 8, 2025

The latest solar news, RFPs and program policy updates at your fingertips

April 08, 2025

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

📢 Policy & Programs

  • No bill movement. Senate committee decision deadlines for the following Senate bills have been set for 4/11:

    • SB2289- sets new formulas for the Illinois Power Agency’s RPS compliance targets.

    • SB1816- Allows for post-award renegotiation of contract terms for renewable energy projects supported through competitive procurements.

    • SB2473- Provides that, by November 1, 2025, and by November 1 every 3 years thereafter, all electric cooperatives in IL shall file an integrated resource plan.

East Coast: MD, NY, PA, VA

📰 Market & Development News

Maryland

  • 4/7- The Maryland legislature passed a bill package that will expedite permitting for community solar and give the state the power to override certain local solar bans.

  • 4/4- The Maryland PSC will hold a public hearing on Halo Colora’s 5MW Theodore Road solar project on 4/16.

New York

  • 4/7- The Town of Clifton Park, in Saratoga County, conducted a public hearing regarding a 180-day moratorium on BESS facilities.

  • 4/4- EDF Renewables’ 177-MW Morris Ridge Solar came online, making it NY’s first operational grid-scale solar farm.

  • 4/4- Sullivan County held a public hearing regarding a 4MWac solar project by NY Fallsburg, LLC.

Pennsylvania

  • 4/7- Rockford Solar alleges that East Fairfield Township violated its civil rights and engaged in extortion by proposing over $150m in fees.

  • 4/4- A state House bill to approve PA’s Solar For All program funds (HB362) was amended with a controversial rider that could potentially gut state net metering.

Virginia

  • 4/7- Advocates worry that Governor Youngkin’s vetoes and amendments to clean energy legislation will widen the gap between electricity supply and demand in VA.

  • 4/7- Appalachian Power proposed a minimum bill rate of $48.66/mo for its future shared solar program, significantly lower than the state’s average bill rate.

  • 4/4- Supervisors at an Amelia County board meeting criticized solar energy as “inefficient” and expressed concerns about construction on agricultural land.

📢 Policy & Programs

Maryland

  • SB931/HB1036- Renewable Energy Certainty Act

    • Among other changes, expands state’s ability to preempt local zoning and tax rules for energy projects over 2MW.

    • Introduced 2/3, passed Senate 4/1, passed House with amendments 4/5.

    • UPDATE- Passed Senate with amendments 4/7, will move to Governor.

  • SB937/HB1035- Next Generation Energy Act

    • Creates an expedited permitting process for multiple energy projects, including zero-emissions sources as well as dispatchable plants.

    • Introduced in Senate 1/28, passed Senate 3/14.

    • Passed House with amendments 4/5.

    • UPDATE- Passed Senate with amendments 4/7. Will move to Governor.

  • HB1111- Floating Solar

    • Allows for floating solar projects of 5MW or less to receive small solar incentive grants.

    • Introduced in House 3/05, Passed House on 3/17.

    • UPDATE- Senate Energy Committee recommended passage on 4/7.

  • HB505/SB434- Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Renaming and Alterations

    • Ups the minimum required percentage of energy that must be derived from clean energy sources in certain years under the clean energy portfolio standard.

    • Introduced in House 2/7.

    • UPDATE- Passed House on 4/7.

New York

  • A7640

    • Establishes a 25-year useful life period for any solar array or solar system.

    • Introduced in Assembly 4/4, referred to Local Government Committee.

Pennsylvania

  • HB1155- Community Solar

    • Establishes a community solar program (5MW project cap/20MW project cap for brownfields).

    • Introduced in House 4/7, referred to Energy Committee.

📋 RFP Opportunities

Illinois

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

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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