FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Emerald Sage, Solar United Neighbors, [email protected], 443-952-1114
Solar advocates applaud legislation advancing rooftop solar in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, MINN. (May 29, 2024) – A coalition of solar and environmental justice groups, including the CLEAR Energy Coalition, is celebrating the passage of provisions of policy that will expand adoption of rooftop and distributed solar in Minnesota. The Omnibus Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate bill (SF 4942/HF 4975) includes provisions that improve local rooftop solar permitting, address interconnection barriers, and provide sustained funding for solar incentive programs that include incentives for low income Minnesotans. The provisions include:
State program to promote SolarAPP+: The bill allocates $2 million to support local communities in adopting SolarAPP+, a web-based automated solar and storage permitting tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. SolarAPP+ offers a standardized and rapid online permitting process for rooftop solar, reducing permitting time to minutes. This funding includes $1.5 million from Minnesota’s Renergy Development Account, designated for use within Xcel Energy’s service territory. The remaining $500,000 is sourced from the general fund and is available for communities outside Xcel’s service territory. Local governments can receive incentives ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 to implement SolarAPP+. This provision was championed by Rep. Carrol and Sen. Port.
“The SolarAPP+ legislation gives communities an easy pathway to streamline permitting and ensure consistent application of codes across the State. Rooftop solar and energy storage installations are scaling up across Minnesota,” said Brian Ross, Vice President, Renewable Energy at Great Plains Energy. “Cities adopting SolarAPP+ can rapidly accelerate the transition to distributed renewable power and give communities greater energy autonomy.”
Addressing barriers to interconnection to the grid for people going solar primarily to address concerns in Xcel territory: Homeowners,small businesses and community solar garden subscribers wanting to go solar are increasingly being denied interconnection by Xcel Energy or being assessed hefty fees. This has slowed the growth of solar and added to the cost. Rep. Patty Acomb, Chair of the House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee, championed this much needed legislation, along with Sen. Xiong in the Senate. The legislation:
- Directs the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to establish rules that will among other things accelerate the expansion of hosting capacity at multiple points on a utility’s distribution system and reduce the financial burden on projects that trigger a need for grid improvements to go solar.
- Creates an Interconnection Ombudsperson that is charged with “facilitating the efficient and fair resolution of disputes between customers seeking to interconnect and utilities; reviewing utility interconnection policies to assess opportunities to reduce interconnection disputes, while considering the equitable distribution of distributed generation; convening stakeholder groups as necessary to facilitate effective communication among interconnection stakeholders; and preparing reports that detail the number, type, resolution timelines, and outcome of interconnection disputes.
“Minnesota’s grid is congested and utilities have been reluctant, in the past, to work with developers to find a solution. This bill finally allows the Public Utilities Commission to convene all parties in a working group to develop a cost-sharing solution that will allow for much needed grid upgrades to allow all homeowners, small businesses and community solar garden subscribers to interconnect and go solar and for Minnesota to achieve its climate goals.” said Pouya Najmaie, Policy and Regulatory Director for Cooperative Energy Futures.
Solar Rewards Funded at $5 Million a Year for 10 Years: The legislation also secures $5 million annually for ten years from the state’s Renewable Development Account starting in 2026 to fund Solar Rewards. (2025 funding is set at $6.25 million). This program gives Xcel customers an incentive to go solar. It also provides incentives to low-income homeowners and non-profits and businesses that serve low income people. Half of this funding has been used to provide incentives for solar owned by or providing benefits to low income people.
“This Solar Rewards funding has provided nation leading incentives for helping low income homeowners and nonprofits serving low income people go solar. This long term commitment to funding this program allows SUN and others to build out how we help more and more low income Minnesotans benefit from solar,” said Bobby King, Minnesota State Director of Solar United Neighbors.
About the CLEAR Energy Coalition
The CLEAR Energy Coalition was established to build an equitable and democratic energy future by advancing policies that bring affordable, local clean energy to all Minnesotans and put power back in the hands of communities, not just corporations.. The coalition includes Black Visions, Community Power, Cooperative Energy Futures, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light, MN Environmental Justice Table, Sierra Club North Star Chapter, Solar United Neighbors, and Vote Solar.
The CLEAR Energy Coalition celebrates these legislative achievements, recognizing their potential to significantly expand rooftop solar adoption, reduce energy costs, and promote environmental justice in Minnesota.
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