US state of solar report: Q2 2026 was huge for plug-in solar legislation

States were busy with rooftop solar rules this spring. A quarterly tracking report found that 45 states, plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico, took some action on home and small-scale solar policy between April and June 2026 — 284 actions in all. Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine and Rhode Island saw the most activity. Most of the changes touched net metering (the credit you get for solar power you send back to the grid), community solar (shared solar projects you can subscribe to without panels on your own roof), and fixed monthly charges on utility bills.

One trend stood out: half the states considered bills to make "plug-in solar" easier to install. These are small, simple solar setups — think a panel or two that plugs into an outlet — aimed at people who can't put a full system on their roof, such as renters or condo owners. Lawmakers in several states also moved on bigger changes: Connecticut ordered new net-metering and community solar programs, Maryland required a replacement for its net-metering program, Virginia regulators ruled on Dominion Energy's net-metering successor, Texas approved a new solar rate for El Paso Electric customers, and an Arizona court struck down a grid-access charge that Arizona Public Service had been charging solar customers.

None of this changes anything at your house immediately, but it signals where state rules on solar credits, fees and community programs are headed. If you're weighing solar or already have it, it's worth checking whether your state made changes to net metering, fixed charges, or new plug-in solar options this year.