Community Solar

High Level
Community solar saw a flurry of state-level action this week, including a major tax equity infusion into multi-state project development, a draft energy blueprint from New York reaffirming its national leadership, and renewed advocacy pressure on municipal utilities like CPS Energy to follow through on longstanding promises. At the same time, unresolved rate structure issues in Virginia are freezing shared solar deployment in one utility’s territory. Together, the week’s developments reveal the uneven geography of progress in the community solar market and the increasingly pivotal role of state and local actors as federal incentives shrink.

Full View

New York releases draft energy plan targeting 35 GW solar and continued community market leadership
• What happened: The New York State Energy Planning Board released a 15-year draft energy plan for public comment, setting goals of 35 GW of solar and 9.4 GW of energy storage by 2040. The plan emphasizes expanded distributed solar, including continued community solar growth, while also rethinking how and when to retire older fossil generation.
• Who did it: The State Energy Planning Board, composed of NYSERDA, the Public Service Commission, SUNY, Con Edison, and the New York ISO, among others.
• Why they did it: The plan responds to federal renewable tax credit rollbacks and surging demand from AI, data centers, and semiconductor manufacturing. It also outlines a cautious approach to fossil plant retirements, emphasizing the need for reliability and like-for-like replacements.
• Stakeholder views:
 • Rory Christian, Chair and CEO, NY Public Service Commission: said federal policy shifts “threaten our ability to address climate change and meet our energy needs” and may harm New York’s economic outlook.
 • Doreen Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA: called the plan “an objective look” at achieving affordability, reliability, and emissions reductions.
 • Amanda Lefton, DEC Commissioner: praised the collaborative effort for balancing economic growth, affordability, and environmental protection.
 • NY Energy Planning Board: stated combustion power units “will remain essential” until their grid functions can be reliably replaced.
• What happens next: Nine public hearings will be held across the state in August and September, with written comments due by October 6. A final plan incorporating updated cost modeling and public input will follow.
Source: Saur Energy
Source: Times Union
Source: MSN/Times Union
Source: WLIW-FM

Nautilus secures $275 million tax equity investment to build 130 MW of community solar across five states
• What happened: Nautilus Solar Energy finalized a $275 million tax equity investment from Greenprint Capital, supported by AB CarVal, to build between 25 and 30 community solar projects totaling over 130 MW.
• Who did it: Nautilus Solar Energy, Greenprint Capital, and AB CarVal. Construction is being managed by affiliate Nautilus US Power Holdco.
• Why they did it: The investment is part of a $2.5 billion national tax equity platform designed to accelerate deployment of distributed solar. Nautilus will oversee project construction, long-term performance, and customer subscription management through its proprietary platform.
• Stakeholder views:
 • Camelia Miu, CFO of Nautilus: “This landmark investment is a testament to Nautilus’s proven track record and deep expertise within the community solar space.”
 • Peter DeFazio, Managing Partner, Greenprint Capital: “This portfolio underscores our confidence in the community solar market.”
 • Alex Flamm, Managing Director, AB CarVal: said the joint venture delivers “private asset-based financing in the energy transition.”
• What happens next: The projects—located in Illinois, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, and Delaware—are under construction and expected to provide clean power to 11,000 homes, create 190 jobs, and significantly grow Nautilus’s footprint. The company also announced its relocation to Chicago as Illinois becomes a core growth market.
Source: PV Tech
Source: Yahoo Finance
Source: PV Magazine USA

Advocates push CPS Energy to fulfill stalled community solar commitment in San Antonio
• What happened: Local advocates are calling on CPS Energy, the municipal utility in San Antonio, to revive its abandoned community solar and residential rebate programs as part of its Sustainable Tomorrow Energy Plan (STEP), citing cost-effectiveness, equity, and grid resilience.
• Who did it: The push comes from public interest groups including Public Citizen and climate organizers such as DeeDee Belmares. CPS Energy is the implementing agency.
• Why they did it: Although CPS committed to offer “non-traditional” solar for low- and moderate-income residents under its 2022 STEP extension, it has not followed through. Independent analysis shows the utility’s now-suspended residential solar rebate program was one of its most cost-effective programs and had the largest emissions reduction impact in its portfolio.
• Stakeholder views:
 • DeeDee Belmares, Clean Energy Advocate, Public Citizen: urged CPS to “urgently finalize a new community solar offering” to fulfill its equity and climate promises.
 • Frontier Energy (via 2024 STEP evaluation): ranked residential solar PV as CPS’s third most cost-effective program, behind only retail lighting and BYOT.
• What happens next: New San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones recently joined the CPS Energy Board. Advocates are pressuring the board to relaunch Solar Host and Big Sun Community Solar or similar models that reduce upfront costs for customers and expand equitable access.
Source: Deceleration News

Virginia regulators leave shared solar program in limbo with unclear minimum bill decision
• What happened: The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) denied a petition from the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) requesting clarification of an interim decision that failed to finalize a key policy component for shared solar in Appalachian Power Company (APCo) territory.
• Who did it: The SCC issued the ruling on July 22, 2025. CCSA had filed the petition.
• Why they did it: 2024 legislation required the SCC to reassess the “minimum bill” charged to shared solar customers, but the interim ruling adopted APCo’s revised proposal without resolving cost structure discrepancies or confirming compliance with statutory benefit metrics.
• Stakeholder views:
 • Charlie Coggeshall, CCSA Mid-Atlantic Director: “Without a workable and well-defined minimum bill, this program cannot succeed... developers have no clear path to move forward.”
• What happens next: The SCC is expected to address the unresolved issues later this year, but delays could jeopardize developers’ eligibility for federal tax incentives set to sunset under the One Big Beautiful Bill. Without regulatory clarity, shared solar in APCo territory remains economically infeasible for most customers.
Source: Solar Power World

What’s the So What?
This week illustrated both the momentum and the fragility of community solar in the current policy environment. New York is doubling down on its role as a market anchor, releasing a comprehensive energy plan that sets aggressive targets while pragmatically addressing fossil retirement, reliability, and affordability. It is effectively trying to govern around Washington’s chaos.

At the same time, the private sector is stepping up. The Nautilus-Greenprint-AB CarVal deal is the largest tax equity investment in the community solar market this year and sends a clear signal: capital remains available for strong project sponsors with a clear go-to-market strategy. This is a financial vote of confidence in a sector that federal policy just destabilized.

But not all regions are keeping pace. CPS Energy, once a nationally recognized innovator in customer-focused solar, has backslid, letting one of the most cost-effective tools in its portfolio languish. Advocates are right to demand action. In Virginia, the SCC’s indecision on minimum bills has functionally frozen development, raising the risk that projects will miss federal credit deadlines.

Taken together, these stories show that the market is still moving—but the center of gravity is shifting. State and local leadership, not federal tax law, now determines the viability of community solar. Whether that shift leads to more equity and resilience or more fragmentation and confusion depends on how decisively regulators act in the months ahead.

Bibliography
Saur Energy. “New York Defies Trump With Draft Energy Plan Targeting 35GW of Solar.” July 28, 2025. https://www.saurenergy.com/solar-energy-news/new-yorks-draft-energy-plan-eyes-35gw-of-solar-94gw-of-energy-storage-by-2040-9567538
Times Union. “Big Beautiful Bill Scrambles New York’s New Energy Blueprint.” July 23, 2025. https://www.timesunion.com/capitol/article/big-beautiful-bill-scrabbles-new-york-s-new-20782916.php
MSN. “State Seeks Public’s Input on NY’s Long-Term Energy Plan.” July 23, 2025. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/state-seeks-public-s-input-on-ny-s-long-term-energy-plan/ar-AA1JavOn
WLIW-FM. “New York Releases New Energy Plan.” July 24, 2025. https://www.wliw.org/radio/captivate-podcast/new-york-releases-new-energy-plan/
PV Tech. “Nautilus, Greenprint Capital Enter US$275 Million Tax Equity Deal to Build 130MW US Community Solar.” July 25, 2025. https://www.pv-tech.org/nautilus-greenprint-capital-enter-us275-million-tax-equity-deal-to-build-130mw-us-community-solar/
Yahoo Finance. “Nautilus to Expand Community Solar Projects with $275M Investment.” July 24, 2025. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nautilus-expand-community-solar-projects-110312938.html
PV Magazine USA. “Investments in Community Solar Continue Despite Federal Headwinds.” July 23, 2025. https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/07/23/investments-in-community-solar-continue-despite-federal-headwinds/
Deceleration News. “CPS Energy Board Must Fulfill Its Community Solar Promise.” July 23, 2025. https://deceleration.news/cps-energy-board-must-fulfill-its-community-solar-promise/
Solar Power World. “Virginia State Corporation Commission Leaves Community Solar in Limbo with Latest Ruling.” July 23, 2025. https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2025/07/virginia-state-corporation-commission-leaves-community-solar-in-limbo-with-latest-ruling/