The Connecticut General Assembly has advanced a bill allowing renters and homeowners with unsuitable roofs to buy into local solar systems and reap the savings.
The Energy & Technology Committee voted 22-1 in mid-March to allow Senate Bill 353 to go before the vote of the entire legislature, clearing a path for it to be adopted this year.
The bill is meant to overcome a barrier many Connecticut residents have in buying local solar power because they either don’t own their home or don’t have a home suitable for a renewable energy array.
SB 353 would established a limited pilot program in two communities where residents could subscribe to local, off-site renewable energy projects and receive a utility bill credit for their portion of the energy produced.
Ten other states have similar laws, including Massachusetts and Vermont. Connecticut has 74 megawatts of installed solar capacity.
