In a Utility Dive opinion piece, Edward Yim, director of clean energy at Lawyers for Good Government, argues that small, community-scale solar and storage projects deserve more attention from policymakers. He writes that these projects account for at least 20% of all solar installed in the United States and can reduce electricity bills, provide backup power when paired with batteries, and lower dependence on fossil fuels. Unlike large utility-scale developments, they often enjoy local support and face fewer permitting delays.
Yim points to recent federal actions that have undercut these efforts, including the end of the residential solar tax credit under the One Big Beautiful Bill and the EPA's termination of the Solar for All program, though a federal judge has vacated that decision. He also highlights the Inflation Reduction Act's elective pay mechanism, which lets tax-exempt organizations like clinics and houses of worship benefit from clean energy credits. In San Fernando, California, he notes, an IRA-supported clinic now gets 60% of its energy from solar plus battery storage.
The article acknowledges that utility-scale solar has become cheap enough that some projects may no longer need federal support. But Yim argues the calculus is different for local projects at schools, community centers, and health clinics, where resilience and cost savings matter more than profit. He urges Congress to preserve elective pay and restore incentives for distributed community-scale projects, saying that utility-scale deployment alone will not deliver the resilient, affordable energy Americans need.