Maine is the leading state for community solar deployment per capita according to the latest Institute for Local Self Reliance data. ILSR’s tracker ranks states by community solar capacity per resident, showing how program design directly impacts market development and growth potential.
The top ten states, according to ILSR’s per-capita ranking, are Maine, Minnesota, New York, Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.
Community solar allows customers to subscribe to a portion of an off-site solar project and receive bill credits for the electricity generated. The model is especially important for renters, multifamily residents, low- and moderate-income households, and homeowners whose roofs are not suitable for solar.
ILSR tracks community solar capacity in states with formal programs that allow non-utility ownership. Its latest tracker notes that 19 states and Washington, D.C., allow community solar, though the organization’s capacity tracking is limited to states with accessible, regularly maintained success data.
#1 – Maine
Maine ranks first by a wide margin, with roughly 700 watts of community solar per person, according to ILSR. The organization said community solar accounted for 53% of all existing solar capacity in the state at the end of 2025.
Maine’s market grew under its net energy billing rules, created in 2011 and expanded in 2019, but recent policy shifts, like LD 1777, signal upcoming changes that industry professionals should monitor.
#2 – Minnesota
Minnesota remains one of the foundational U.S. community solar markets. The state’s program launched in late 2014, and Minnesota has long been an early example of a market that scaled by avoiding hard caps on programs and using a compensation structure that made projects financially viable.
Minnesota was the national leader in community solar for years before being overtaken by New York in total capacity and, more recently, by Maine on a per-capita basis. Even so, its ranking shows the durability of the state’s early market design.
#3 – New York
New York is the largest community solar market by total tracked capacity. The state passed its first community solar legislation in 2015, and its Community Distributed Generation program has since become one of the most active in the country.
ILSR said New York added 112 MW of community solar capacity in the most recent quarter, representing 4% growth. The state was also among the year-over-year growth leaders in 2025, with community solar capacity up 28%. At the end of 2025, community solar represented 42% of New York’s existing solar capacity.
#4 – Massachusetts
Unlike some other leading markets, Massachusetts governs community solar through its broader solar incentive framework rather than a standalone community solar law.
The latest version of the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target program, SMART 3.0, took effect in September 2025. ILSR notes that SMART 3.0 set a 900 MW size cap for 2025, and new community solar projects will likely apply under the updated rules because they offer more favorable incentives than SMART 2.0.
#5 – District of Columbia
The District of Columbia ranks fifth. ILSR notes that D.C. reports community solar figures annually, rather than quarterly. At the end of 2025, community solar represented 20% of existing solar capacity in the District, placing it alongside Maine, New York, Minnesota, and Massachusetts as one of the few tracked markets where community solar makes up a double-digit share of total solar capacity.
#6 – Colorado
Colorado was one of the earliest adopters of community solar policy, establishing its program through HB 1342 in 2010. ILSR notes that the original program design was slow to gain traction, but updates in 2016 and 2019 improved the market.
Colorado’s current market has largely operated through Xcel Energy’s Solar*Rewards Community program. A new inclusive community solar program established by SB 24-207 is scheduled to begin in 2026, with initial capacity allocations of 50 MW for Xcel Energy and 3.5 MW for Black Hills Energy.
#7 – Illinois
Illinois passed its first community solar legislation in 2016 and now administers community solar through programs such as Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for All.
ILSR notes that Illinois uses long-term contracts between utilities and approved vendors to purchase energy and renewable energy credits. Contract terms vary by program type, with Illinois Shines offering 15-year terms for Community-Driven Community Solar projects and 20-year terms for Traditional Community Solar and Public School projects.
#8 – Maryland
Maryland established its community solar pilot program in 2017 and divided capacity across investor-owned utility territories. The state also built low- and moderate-income access into the program design, including a dedicated share of capacity for lower-income households.
In 2025, Maryland was one of the fastest-growing tracked community solar markets, with ILSR reporting 30% year-over-year growth.
#9 – Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, state lawmakers expanded remote distributed generation rules in 2016, creating multiple structures for shared renewable generation. Community net-metering systems operate like traditional community solar programs, allowing utility customers to subscribe to a portion of a facility and receive virtual net-metering bill credits based on their share of the project’s output.
Rhode Island’s ranking shows how adjusting community solar capacity for population can lift smaller states higher on the list.
#10 – New Jersey
New Jersey passed its first community solar legislation in 2018, launched a pilot program, and made the program permanent in 2023.
New legislation could drive a significant expansion of the market. In 2025, New Jersey enacted legislation calling for an additional 3 GW of community solar capacity, bringing the total available program capacity to 3.25 GW. The state also requires 51% of each community solar project to be committed to low- and moderate-income participants, and subscribers must be guaranteed savings of at least 15% of the value of bill credits.
New Jersey was the fastest-growing state in ILSR’s most recent quarterly update, increasing community solar capacity by 16%, or 35 MW.
Taken together, the per-capita rankings show that community solar leadership is not limited to the largest solar states. Maine, Minnesota, and D.C. rank ahead of several larger markets because community solar represents a larger share of their local solar portfolios.
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