There’s something I haven’t stopped thinking about for nine months.

At the American Solar Energy Society’s conference last summer, one of the speakers mentioned that 70% of the carbon reduction we’ve seen since the turn of the century from deploying clean energy has come as a direct result of state and local policy.

That means that federal policy isn’t nearly as important as we think it is, and that we have more power than we think.

It’s easy to feel helpless when we look at national news, but it’s an illusion. State and local policy is a lot easier to influence than federal policy, and often has a greater impact.

I wanted to spend today’s episode talking about the states that are stepping in to offer solar incentives as the government phases out federal ones.

We’re starting with New Jersey since we install there at Exact Solar, but make sure you still till the end to see what other states are taking action.

What’s new:

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed “smart solar” legislation (S4100/A5264), mandating the creation of a statewide, automated permitting platform for residential solar and battery systems.

Here’s what you need to know:

* The Department of Community Affairs must launch the system within 18 months, allowing code-compliant projects to bypass red tape and receive “near-instant approval.”

* Implementation will be overseen by the incoming administration of Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill.

* Municipalities can only opt out if they prove they already have a comparable automated system in place.

Why it matters:

This new system in New Jersey is aimed at tackling a specific “soft cost” that plagues the industry nationwide. New Jersey currently has the third-slowest solar permitting timelines in the U.S.

Permitting hurdles add $3,800 to $4,500 to a typical installation in NJ and cause nearly 20% of projects to be canceled before construction begins. Experts estimate this single fix could help add 200,000 additional solar installations by 2040.

Go deeper:

While NJ tackles permitting, other states are passing different policies:

* Colorado: Governor Jared Polis has directed state agencies to “prioritize expeditious review” of renewable facilities to lock in tax credits before they expire in 2027. Colorado is also rolling out a home energy rebate program aimed at electrifying homes.

* California: The legislature passed bills (like S.B. 302 and A.B. 1408) to integrate interconnection into transmission planning and fight back against interconnection queues that often stretch to as long as five years.

* Maine: Regulators recently fast-tracked proposals to bring enough new renewable energy online to power 13% of the state’s annual usage.

* New York: The state introduced standards prohibiting gas and fossil fuels in most new buildings and is reviewing budget laws to accelerate renewable deployment.

Waste Management Is Putting Solar On Old Dump Sites

What’s new:

Waste Management (WM) and Reactivate have announced a nationwide partnership to transform up to 50 former landfills into solar energy and storage sites.

Reactivate, an Invenergy company, will develop, construct, own, and operate solar projects on at least 50 of WM’s closed landfill sites across North America.

* The planned projects include community solar, small utility-scale solar, and energy storage projects.

* Reactivate expects to complete the first phase of projects by late 2027.

Why it matters:

Former landfills are often “dead zones” that cannot support new development. By leasing these difficult-to-develop parcels to Reactivate, WM can do something with land that would otherwise be useless.

Sources:

States work to speed renewable deployment before ITC deadline

States Take Action on Renewable Energy After OBBBA Curtails Tax Incentives | Novogradac

NJ governor signs bill to speed up residential solar permitting

Smart solar permitting bill passes New Jersey legislature

WM will build solar on at least 50 former landfills

Reactivate and WM Collaborate Nationwide to Convert Up to 50+ Landfills into Solar Energy Sites

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