The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a non-profit organization with a vision of thriving, diverse and equitable communities. ILSR sees the need for more supportive state policy that allows non-utility developers to build and own community solar plants, establishes a fair price for utilities to pay for community solar power, and sets up a process for billing and crediting subscribers.
Community solar provides a way for people to benefit from solar energy who may be unable to install solar either due to financial restrictions or because they do not have a suitable rooftop for solar.
ILSR recently updated its tracker that looks at community solar capacity in states with formal programs that allow non-utility ownership. Its tracking, which is updated quarterly, is limited to states with accessible and regularly maintained datasets, according to ILSR. States it is unable to track include Alaska, California, Delaware, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.
ILSR offers an interactive map that shows each state with a community solar policy. Clicking on an individual state shows number of community solar installations, total community solar capacity, watts per capita provided by community solar, and more.
The top five
The top five states for installed community solar capacity, according to ILSR are New York, Maine, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Illinois. Installed capacity ranges from 2.4 GW installed in the leading state down to less than 400 MW in Illinois.
1. New York
The Empire State enacted its community solar policy in 2015, and has ince developed into the leading market in the country. Today the state has 1,203 community solar installations providing a total of 2.4 GWac of community solar installed. The average project size in New York is 2 MW.
2. Maine
Maine established its community solar policy in 2011 and currently has 2,574 community solar installations providing 936 MWac. The average project size is .36 MW.
3. Minnesota
Ranked third in the nation for community solar, Minnesota established its policy in 2013. It currently has 534 community solar installations providing 931 MW. The average size is 1.7 MW.
4. Massachusetts
The Bay State established its community solar policy in 2014 and currently has 539 community solar projects providing 900 MWac. The average project size is 1.6 MWac.
5. Illinois
The community solar policy of Illinois was established in 2016. The state currently has 196 community solar installations providing 393 MWac. The average project size is just under 2 MWac. While it is in fifth place for community solar capacity, Illinois has less than half the installed capacity of Massachusetts, which stands in fourth place.
In the 2025 Community Power Scorecard, ILSR evaluated state-level community solar policies that it looks for virtual net metering in the community solar policy, which allows many individuals to receive credit for the electricity generated by a single solar facility. ILSR states that “a model community solar policy has no cap, has a fair compensation rate, simplifies the billing process for subscribers, meaningfully accounts for the challenge of reaching low- and moderate-income (LMI) subscribers, and rewards other beneficial development or small subscriber-friendly practices.”
Emphasizing the need to allow non-utility developers to develop community solar, ILSR said, “many utilities offer so-called ‘community solar’ projects that they own, and force subscribers to pay a premium — thus maintaining monopoly control over the market and pocketing any profits for their shareholders.”
Furthermore, ILSR added that “states can and should go even further to design community solar programs that promote racial and economic equity.”
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