6 States Leading the USA on Smart Energy Policy Halfway through 2026

Six states passed notable energy laws in the first half of 2026, several of which touch homeowners directly. In Virginia, new rules make rooftop solar permitting faster and cheaper, and the state raised its energy storage target to 20 gigawatts while expanding shared solar programs (which let customers buy into a solar project instead of installing panels) for Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power customers. Maryland doubled the cap on its net metering program, from 3 to 6 gigawatts. Net metering lets solar owners get credit on their bill for extra power they send back to the grid, so this means more room for homes and businesses to install solar and still get that credit.

New York put $200 million into its NY-Sun program, which offers incentives for rooftop and community solar, and is working on faster, cheaper ways to connect new solar and battery projects to the grid. Illinois is rolling out a law expected to save state electricity customers $13 billion over 20 years while adding battery storage. New Jersey and Colorado focused more on larger-scale and utility battery storage projects meant to ease strain on the grid during high-demand periods.

None of this creates a national program, and details depend on where you live. But if you're in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, or Colorado, it may be worth checking your state's current solar or storage incentives, since several just got bigger or easier to use.