News > Defending fair crediting in DC’s community solar program

Defending fair crediting in DC’s community solar program

• Solar affordability

February 25, 2026

Not everyone can go solar where they live. That’s why solar supporters in D.C. and around the country have fought to create community solar programs. These allow people to buy or lease a share of an offsite solar array. They earn a credit on their bill based on what their share produces, just like if they had the panels on their own roof.

Thanks to the urging of D.C. solar supporters, the D.C. Council passed community solar legislation in 2013. But as a recent win shows, just passing a bill isn’t enough to ensure people benefit from solar energy. Solar supporters have had to fight to ensure that community solar subscribers earn what Pepco, the local monopoly utility, owes them.

Washington, D.C. leads the way in community solar

The District’s community solar program was passed in 2013 after years of advocacy from dedicated community activists. Washingtonians pushed for clean, affordable solutions to rising energy bills, and community solar does just that. With community solar, you don’t need to have a sunny roof or pay high upfront costs to go solar. Families subscribe to a solar project and receive credits on their electric bill, opening up the door to solar to everyone.

In 2016, SUN helped create the D.C. Solar for All program to lower electric bills for income-qualified families. DC Solar for All has provided free community solar subscriptions to more than 11,0000 families and helped more Washingtonians save money and reinvest in their communities. Across the District, 64% of low-income families are energy-burdened, with Black families facing a disproportionate impact. Solar for All provides transformative benefits for many of these families, aiming to lower electric bills by nearly 50% for participating customers — through last year, the program has delivered more than $80 million in lifetime energy savings. DC’s Solar for All program paved the way for the national Solar for All program, a $7 billion dollar initiative to deploy affordable solar in lower income households across America. The national Solar for All program was illegally terminated in 2025, putting one million low-income households at risk of losing solar energy. 

A recent win for fair crediting in D.C.’s community solar program

Pepco, the local monopoly utility, under credited community solar subscribers. In 2022, SUN discovered that participating families were receiving less credits than they deserved – and Pepco was pocketing the difference. 

SUN banded together with the Department of Energy and Environment and the Office of People’s Council to demand an investigation. The Public Service Commission (PSC), which regulates Pepco, launched an audit into the program. Throughout the process, Pepco consistently avoided sharing key data with the authorities, making the audit drag on for over three years and costing taxpayers thousands of dollars. 

Recently, Washingtonians celebrated a step towards justice and greater accountability. SUN mobilized supporters to submit comments to the PSC asking for fair compensation. As a result, in December 2025, Pepco began paying nearly $5 million dollars to 1,262 community solar customers who were unfairly credited. This is a step towards rebuilding trust with the community and ensuring the long-term viability of the program. 

In December 2025, Pepco began paying nearly $5 million dollars to 1,262 community solar customers who were unfairly credited.

The fight for accountability isn’t over. Pepco still hasn’t committed to more transparency in the crediting process, and hasn’t yet proven to the public that other community solar customers are being fairly reimbursed on their bills. Organizations are also demanding that the PSC prevents Pepco from recovering the audit costs from its ratepayers by raising rates.

“D.C.’s Solar for All customers are already financially overburdened and missed out on life-changing savings due to Pepco’s errors,” said Sukrit Mishra, SUN’s D.C. program director. “We need stronger transparency and accountability to ensure that this sort of misconduct will not happen again.”

When we join together, we can ensure utility companies are working for us – not the other way around. SUN extends thanks to Earthjustice, who has represented us in this case, along with the hard work of the D.C. Attorney General, D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment and Office of People’s Council, and PSC Commissioners who have gotten us here! 

Protecting energy rights and holding utilities accountable 

Community solar programs have revolutionized solar access in D.C., but solar supporters can’t keep our guard down when it comes to utility monopolies. We’ll continue to encourage the PSC to keep solar accessible for all by approving DOEE’s structural recommendations to protect customers from Pepco’s mismanagement in the future.