Connecticut community solar income limit takes effect no later than 2028, and only low income customers may newly join

Connecticut community solar income limit takes effect no later than 2028

Connecticut has set a community solar income limit that takes effect no later than 2028. A Connecticut resident who cannot fit solar panels on their own roof can buy a share of a solar project built elsewhere instead, called community solar, and get a credit on their electric bill for that share power. A new law, An Act Concerning Renewable Power Generation, signed 2026 06 04, orders regulators to rename that program the Community Solar Program and limit new subscribers to low income customers, with priority for anyone already behind on their electric bill. That limit is not in force yet. Existing community solar, open to every income level today, keeps taking new subscribers until December 31, 2028, or until regulators approve the new tariffs, the rate rules for each program, whichever comes first. For anyone shopping for a subscription now, that date is the deadline that matters.

What the new renewable power law changed, and why

An earlier law, signed 2025 07 01, ordered the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, known as PURA, to study what should replace net metering, the rule that credits a solar owner for power sent back onto the grid at close to the retail price. The state own digest of agency reports to the Governor confirms PURA opened that proceeding. PURA delivered its Renewable Energy Tariff Programs Successor Study on 2026 02 27. The legislature moved fast, passing House Bill 5340, which the Governor signed 2026 06 04 as An Act Concerning Renewable Power Generation, ordering PURA to open replacement proceedings for all 3 renewable tariff programs by 2026 08 01 and finish them by 2027 12 01.

PURA wanted 1 cap, the legislature kept 2

Section 4 of that law sets a combined target, starting in 2028, of 180 megawatts a year and, separately, 85 million dollars a year in total compensation across all 3 successor programs. If the 2 targets cannot both be met, the dollar figure takes precedence. PURA itself had recommended dropping the megawatt measure for a dollar budget alone. The legislature kept both and wrote a tiebreaker instead.

Community solar is already the smaller slice of Connecticut solar

Testimony that Sunrun, a solar company, filed with the legislature, citing PURA own study, states the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions Program, known as RRES, has deployed more than 400 megawatts of residential solar since 2022, while nonresidential and shared community solar combined have placed 45 megawatts in service over the same years.

The charge on new solar customers is rising too

RRES is also changing. New residential participants are paid roughly 15% below the retail electricity rate, through a per kilowatt hour charge on solar production called a non bypassable charge, a fee added to a customer own bill that cannot be avoided. Connecticut applied that charge in 2025 at half a cent per kilowatt hour. The legislature required it rise to at least 3.25 cents for 2026, and PURA set it at 4.02 cents, which Sunrun own testimony says will add roughly 30 to 40 dollars a month to a newly enrolled customer bill.

The RRES Program has been successful in maintaining solar deployment while gradually transitioning Connecticut away from retail net metering.

Kyle Wallace, Senior Director of Public Policy at Sunrun, in testimony filed with the Connecticut General Assembly. Source 4.

What this means if you are shopping for community solar now

Nothing about eligibility changes before December 31, 2028, or before PURA finishes approving the new tariffs, whichever comes first. After that date, only low income customers, with priority for anyone already behind on their electric bill, can newly join Connecticut community solar.