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Community Solar in the United States (existing section)
Many states have adopted virtual net metering (VNM) policies, which allow businesses or households who have solar panels on-site to get net metering credits for any power generated by their solar panels that they do not use. Relatedly, virtual net metering policies let businesses or households that subscribe to an offsite community solar project receive the net metering credits from that remote project.

Community solar subscribers can only claim to use renewable energy if they receive the renewable energy certificates (RECs) associated with the electricity they are using. Often, RECs are split from the electricity that community solar projects create and sold to utilities in order to help them comply with renewable portfolio standards implemented by states.

Federal Programs
The solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), implemented in 2006, is a one-time, 26 percent tax credit for commercial solar developers, including those who develop community solar projects. While the solar ITC rate was scheduled to gradually decrease over time, Congress passed a two year extension of the 26 percent rate in 2020 alongside a COVID relief package.

The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) in the U.S. Department of Energy has sponsored various community solar related projects and research efforts. One such program is the National Community Solar Partnership, a partnership of various community solar stakeholders with the aim of increasing accessibility and affordability of community solar programs in the U.S.

Massachusetts (existing section)
In 2018, Massachusetts implemented the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program as a replacement for the state’s former Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC II) program. Under the SMART program, Massachusetts pays solar energy system owners at a fixed rate per kilowatt hour as an incentive. This program was updated in 2020, and updates included an expansion of the definition of Low Income Customers and expanded consumer protection standards.

Minnesota
In 2013, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a new law requiring Xcel Energy, the largest electric utility in the state, to begin a community solar pilot program. Other utility companies in the state do not have the same requirement, but some are voluntarily developing community solar programs. Xcel Energy still operates a community solar program in Minnesota, and the utility company oversees the Solar*Rewards program, the largest community solar program in the country. Most of its participants are not individual households, but rather large-scale clients like businesses.

In 2019, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council gave Minnesota an A grade for shared renewables programs, a category which includes community solar. As of June 2020, Minnesota had the largest community solar market of any U.S. state in terms of megawatts alternating-current installed capacity. In January 2021, there were 784 megawatts of community solar operational capacity in Minnesota.