Community Solar News | July 13–19, 2025 State coalitions and developers press forward despite federal headwinds and investor anxiety

High Level

Community solar made strategic gains this week as both state-led coalitions and investor-backed developers announced moves that signal resilience in the face of regulatory uncertainty. Georgia BRIGHT set an August launch for its Solar for All rollout, with dedicated tracks for utility-led and benefit-sharing community solar. Meanwhile, the NC Clean Energy Technology Center's Q2 policy report showed nearly every state is reshaping net metering, consumer protections, and shared solar policy. And in a sharp contrast to smaller developers struggling post-OBBB, 38 Degrees North raised $230 million and consolidated a 250 MW pipeline, positioning itself as a dominant buyer in a contracting market. The week's throughline: market structure matters, and execution—not policy alignment alone—will determine who survives.

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Georgia BRIGHT unveils multi-pronged Solar for All rollout, including community solar tracks
• What happened: Georgia BRIGHT announced an August 4 launch for its “No‑Cost Solar Plan,” offering 400 prepaid residential solar leases and outlining dedicated Community Benefit Solar and Utility‑Led Community Solar pathways under the $156 million Solar for All award.
• Who did it: Georgia BRIGHT Communities Coalition, led by Capital Good Fund, in partnership with the cities of Atlanta, Savannah, Decatur, and supported by nonprofits and utility partners.
• Why they did it: To improve solar equity by providing multiple deployment models—leasing, shared installations with nonprofits, and utility-led programs—ensuring at least 20% bill savings for underserved households statewide.
• Stakeholder views:
 • Alicia Brown (Georgia BRIGHT Director): “Solar energy available to all households… especially those in underserved communities.”
 • Neal Parikh (Candide/Afterglow Fund): “Solar savings … will help organizations … continue to impact their communities positively.”
 • Joseph Melder (Savannah City Manager): Georgia’s shared solar investments “will benefit our city’s residents.”
• What happens next: Residential leases begin August 4. Utility-Led Community Solar grants and Community Benefit Solar partnerships—complete with local benefits—launch later in 2025 and into 2026.
Grice Connect, July 18, 2025
Capital Good Fund
Georgia BRIGHT

NCCETC report highlights community solar and consumer protection trends in Q2 2025
• What happened: The NC Clean Energy Technology Center released its Q2 2025 “50 States of Solar” report, tallying 252 state-level distributed solar policy actions—including 48 focused on community solar—in 48 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.
• Who did it: NCCETC, a statewide distributed energy policy research group at North Carolina State University.
• Why they did it: To document trends such as valuation studies of DER, third-party consumer protections, property tax incentives, and enhancements to community solar and net-metering frameworks.
• Stakeholder views:
 • Cleo Carter (Policy Analyst): “The value of distributed energy … piqued the interest of state policymakers.”
 • Caitlin Flanagan (Policy Analyst): “Decision-makers aimed to advance consumer protection for third-party owned systems.”
• What happens next: States like Massachusetts, Maine, Delaware, and Virginia will lead the next wave of reforms in community solar tariff design, consumer safeguards, and DER valuation policy.
Solar Power World, July 17, 2025
DSIRE Insight
PV Magazine, Jan. 2025

38 Degrees North raises $230M and acquires 250+ MW pipeline amid OBBB volatility
• What happened: 38 Degrees North secured over $230 million in corporate growth capital from Climate Adaptive Infrastructure and Kimmeridge Energy Management, and completed its acquisition of community solar developer U.S. Light Energy, adding a pipeline of over 250 MW.
• Who did it: 38 Degrees North, with backing from CAI, Kimmeridge, and prior support from S2G Investments.
• Why they did it: To position itself as a dominant player in the fragmented community solar market ahead of tax credit sunsets, supply chain constraints, and rising interest rates caused by the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB).
• Stakeholder views:
 • Chris Bailey (38DN Managing Director): “It’s an important time to be well capitalized and have real assets to put in the ground.”
 • Ryan Bennett, Jake Carney, and Bailey (38DN Founders): “We need to accelerate local clean energy projects that deliver long-term savings.”
 • Bill Green (CAI): “Distributed generation plays an ever-greater role as power demands surge and the grid becomes less stable.”
 • Henry Makansi (Kimmeridge): “38 Degrees North can navigate and capitalize on regulatory complexity with clarity and control.”
• What happens next: With rising retail energy rates and shorter interconnection timelines, 38DN expects to rapidly deploy new projects while consolidating a fragmented developer landscape.
Latitude Media, July 17, 2025
PR Newswire, July 17, 2025

What’s the So What?

Despite the fallout from the One Big Beautiful Bill, the community solar sector is showing signs of strategic evolution. The week’s developments point to a bifurcating landscape: one part coalition-driven, grant-backed, and policy aligned, the other increasingly defined by balance sheet strength and acquisition agility.

In Georgia, the BRIGHT coalition is demonstrating what layered solar equity looks like. Its Solar for All strategy doesn’t just stop at free rooftop installs—it threads together utility engagement, community benefit sharing, and nonprofit partnerships, all backed by a federal award and local governance. It’s one of the clearest examples of how public funding can deliver not just electrons, but economic relief and democratic accountability.

At the same time, NCCETC’s report captures a critical moment in the regulatory cycle: states are pivoting from pilot programs to durable frameworks. This includes pricing distributed energy fairly, protecting low-income subscribers from predatory contracts, and deciding who gets to control the customer relationship. It’s clear that community solar’s future won’t be won by volume alone, but by rules that balance access with oversight.

And in a market rattled by regulatory rollbacks, 38 Degrees North is playing offense. With $230 million on hand and a 250 MW pipeline in its pocket, it’s poised to become one of the acquirers of last resort for stranded projects and smaller developers who can’t survive the cost of capital reset. That may not be great for competition, but it reflects a reality: execution, not entitlement, now determines survivability in community solar.

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