Recommendations for State and Local Governments to Advance

Enacting local and state policies to ensure that the U.S. solar buildout strengthens farm economies will be critical to reducing land use and siting tensions and getting renewable energy projects built,

Policies and Regulations | US EPA

The continued growth of the distributed solar market has prompted electric utilities, regulators, and others to consider improvements to the interconnection processes. Below are

Policies and Regulations | US EPA

State Solar Carve-Out ProgramsSolar Interconnection Standards & PoliciesUnderstanding Electricity Market Frameworks & PoliciesInterconnection standards define how a distributed generation system, such as solar photovoltaics (PVs), can connect to the grid. In some areas of the United States, the interconnection process lacks consistent parameters and procedures for connecting to the grid or is unnecessarily complex. This drives up costs and causes delays, which can be sign...See more on epa.govDepartment of Energy[PDF]

Solar Power in Your Community - Department of Energy

Low-Income Solar Policy Guide – This guide—developed by GRID Alternatives, Vote Solar, and the Center for Social Inclusion—summarizes barriers to low-income solar and provides information on

Community Solar Policy Landscape and Pathways to Meaningful

Community solar policy designs are evolving, with many states expanding programs, enhancing equitable access, and ensuring household savings. The National Community Solar

Agrivoltaics Policy Frameworks in the United States

Agrivoltaics, also known as dual-use solar or agrisolar, is an integrated land-use approach that combines agricultural production and photovoltaic electricity generation on the same site,

Solar Power in Your Community

Low-Income Solar Policy Guide – This guide—developed by GRID Alternatives, Vote Solar, and the Center for Social Inclusion—summarizes barriers to low-income solar and provides information on

Harvesting the Sun–Twice: Agrivoltaics and Rural Land-Use

Among the agrivoltaics projects nationwide, the majority integrate solar production with habitat activities (pollinators, for examples), while the remainder focus on grazing, crop production,

American Farm Bureau Prioritizes Agrivoltaics in 2025 Policy Book

American Farm Bureau adopts prioritization of solar projects with "shared agricultural use component" or siting on brownfields in its national 2025 Policy Book.

Community Solar | State, Local, and Tribal Governments | NLR

In a 2024 study, NLR estimated the technical potential for community solar in the United States, finding that community solar could theoretically grow to serve all residential electricity

Solar Energy Toolkit: The Federal and State Context

At the federal level, there are several key policies, programs, and regulations that impact the development of solar PV and other renewable energy projects, influencing project procurement

New Energy Deployment

View the project announcements below for full details regarding awardees for the New ERA and PACE programs, as well as more details on Rural Development''s public portal.