News > Solar wins in Minnesota

Solar wins in Minnesota

• Solar affordability

July 10, 2025

• Krupa Bharodiya

Victory – Minnesota solar policies are protected thanks to your advocacy! 

The Minnesota state legislative session — finally wrapped up after going into overtime with a special session, and we achieved some major victories together. Two threats emerged this session that could have fundamentally reshaped Minnesota’s solar landscape: gutting net metering for rural and municipal utility customers, and sunsetting Minnesota’s nationally-recognized Community Solar Program. These attacks were bipartisan, making the danger immediate and real. But thanks to our advocacy, our emails, our voices, and our presence at the Capitol, both policies were successfully defended. Plus, we made some major headway in our work to advance Distributed Power Plants.

What was at stake – Net metering and community solar

Net metering is the policy that ensures solar owners receive fair credit for the energy they share with the grid. It’s a win-win policy—it helps everyone by reducing strain on the power grid during busy times and keeps energy production local. But Minnesota’s rural electric co-ops and municipal utilities pushed for legislation that would have killed net metering for new solar customers in rural areas and small towns. These changes would have made going solar unaffordable for many families, farmers, and small businesses.

“Net metering is key to advancing small-scale solar, which benefits us all,” explained Minnesota Program Director Bobby King, in an op-ed published in the Minnesota Reformer in May. “Solar is still emerging and growing in Minnesota, especially in rural areas…changing our net metering policy now would reduce solar adoption dramatically just when it is most needed.”

Minnesota’s Community Solar Program (also called community shared solar or community solar gardens) was also under threat during this year’s legislative session. The program, established in 2013, offers Minnesotans the opportunity to benefit from solar energy without installing a system at their home. It has expanded solar access to renters, schools, small businesses, and families who have historically been shut out of the possibilities that solar provides. The program currently powers nearly 180,000 homes and is the largest of its kind in the US with over 860 megawatts of capacity. However, it faced elimination in the Senate Energy Omnibus Bill due to utility lobbying, with lawmakers proposing a two-year phase-out that would have halted new development and left waiting communities stranded.

Thanks to the advocacy of SUN supporters and our allies at the Capitol, these damaging proposals were removed from the final legislation. SUN supporters testified, contacted legislators, and made their voices heard when it mattered most, and as a result, these programs remain intact. 

How SUN supporters made the difference

In April 2025, SUN led a press conference and lobbying day at the Capitol to push back on the provisions in the Senate Energy Bill. Our coalition partners — the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, Cooperative Energy Futures, Vote Solar, Sierra Club, CURE, and others — joined forces to publicly expose the threats posed by the Senate Energy Omnibus Bill. Over 50 solar advocates joined SUN to speak directly with lawmakers. Along with the support of Governor Walz and leaders from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, we stopped this attempt to roll back solar access and preserved these vital programs for current and future solar customers.

A win for solar is a win for Minnesota

There was a lot at stake—not just for Minnesota’s solar market, valued at $4.2 billion, and the 4,800 jobs it supports, but for the families and communities who depend on these programs and policies most. Protecting community solar and net metering during this legislative session means protecting access to affordable, reliable, clean energy for all Minnesotans across the state

This win was the result of consistent pressure from Minnesotans from all across the state who made their voices heard. SUN supporters showed up at committee hearings to testify and made statements at press conferences. They contacted their legislators and told personal stories about why these policies and programs matter for their communities. And they made clear that this fight wasn’t just for solar, it was for economic justice, energy independence, and giving communities, especially in rural Minnesota, control over their power choices. 

Advancing Distributed Power Plants in Minnesota

In addition to our success defending net metering and community solar, we made significant progress advancing Distributed Power Plants during the legislative session. Distributed Power Plants are networks of smaller, local energy sources—like rooftop solar panels, small wind turbines, and battery storage systems—that work together like one big power plant, allowing communities to generate and share clean electricity locally instead of relying solely on massive, centralized power stations.

Last summer, SUN developed model legislation designed to support this innovative approach to clean energy at the state level. Working closely with Representative Larry Kraft and Senator Jen McEwen, we successfully introduced companion bills in both the Minnesota House and Senate. SUN held a productive hearing before the House Climate and Energy Committee, where we built crucial support among lawmakers. This foundation positions us well to push for advancing this issue in the upcoming legislative session, bringing Minnesota closer to a more resilient, locally-controlled clean energy future.

Where do we go from here

This victory is certainly something to celebrate, but we can’t afford to let our guard down. Anti-solar forces will regroup and return with new strategies in the next legislative session, while federal policy battles continue to threaten clean energy progress nationwide. Minnesota is a solar policy leader whose programs serve as models for other states, but that also makes us a prime target for those who want to drag us backward. Right now, we need committed advocates ready to defend solar in the land of 10,000 lakes. Whether you can attend hearings, write a letter to the editor, add your name to petitions, or even just promote solar in your own community, every effort counts. Sign up to volunteer today. When Minnesotans come together to defend solar energy, we win.

You can reach out to Minnesota Program Director Bobby King at bking@solarunitedneighbors.org to share your ideas and thoughts about solar energy in Minnesota. It is the leadership of our members that makes SUN a successful organization.