Governor Maura Healey convened a solar summit in Massachusetts that brought together state energy officials, developers, utilities and labor leaders to press for faster interconnection, streamlined permitting and policies to support home solar and battery storage as federal incentives change.

The gathering focused on removing barriers to deployment so the state can expand clean generation quickly, lower costs and protect jobs as the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) phases down. “On the hottest single day of summer…behind-the-meter solar — the solar on our roofs and farms and schools — met 22% of statewide demand. That’s $8,000,000 in savings alone on that one day,” Healey said, citing recent grid performance data.

Why it matters: Speakers said Massachusetts can bring on the fastest, cheapest new generation in the near term — rooftop and distributed solar plus storage — but only if the state accelerates capital projects on the distribution system, finishes permitting reforms and preserves consumer and workforce protections.

Industry speakers emphasized interconnection work already approved by the Department of Public Utilities, urging the state and utilities to accelerate System Improvement Projects, or SIPs, that free up capacity on distribution circuits. Jessica Robertson, director of policy and business development at New Leaf Energy, said, “Enabling new interconnection capacity is the number one thing that we can do to enable solar development,” and urged the state to begin long-term distribution system planning with a land-use–first approach so new grid investments open more places for projects.

Home solar and storage were a separate focus. Bronte Payne, senior policy manager at Sunrun, recommended automated instant permitting for code-compliant residential storage, a common fee to allocate upgrade costs across small customers, and stronger consumer-protection laws. “Home solar and battery storage are really critical resources for creating a more affordable electric grid for all Massachusetts households,” Payne said.

Representatives of the solar business community highlighted program-level changes. Nick Darbeloff, a commercial team member at Avision Energy and president of the Solar Energy Business Association of New England (CBANE), said the state currently has about 5.8 gigawatts of installed solar and pointed to a summer day when distributed solar supplied large amounts of power. Darbeloff also urged restoration of targeted financing for low- and moderate-income households and changes to state tax caps to keep residential deployment viable.

Labor leaders pressed for prevailing wage and project labor agreement requirements on state-funded or state-procured projects, stronger apprenticeship and training programs, and prioritizing community solar and distributed generation in dense, low-income neighborhoods. Lou Antonelis, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 103, said the state should consider credit enhancements such as loan guarantees or bond programs to derisk projects that meet high labor standards and insisted on monitoring and penalties to enforce compliance.

Several speakers warned that federal policy and tariffs have created uncertainty and raised costs. Multiple presenters urged the Commonwealth to act quickly to capture remaining federal tax incentives and to build a durable long-term framework for the post-ITC era.

The Healey administration said it has already rolled out emergency solar incentives to shorten permitting and interconnection timelines, and to support workforce training, and that staff would continue to work with industry at the summit. No formal votes or binding state actions were recorded during the session; participants framed recommendations and asked for follow-up from state agencies.

Clarifying details discussed at the meeting include the role of SIPs approved by the Department of Public Utilities to add interconnection capacity, the state’s recent revisions to the SMART program, and existing programs or proposals for financing and consumer protections. Speakers repeatedly distinguished between discussion, policy proposals and formal action; the summit collected industry and labor input rather than enacting new regulations.

Looking ahead, summit participants urged the administration and utilities to accelerate capital grid projects, implement standardized permitting and consumer protections, and adopt procurement and financing practices that support both deployment and high-quality jobs. The administration said staff would follow up with stakeholders to operationalize the priorities discussed at the meeting.