By: David Sarkisian, Sr. Policy Project Manager
The DSIRE Insight team focuses a lot of our work on policies implemented at the state level, either by legislatures or by utility regulatory commissions. Energy policy is not just made by states, though. Obviously, some policies are developed and implemented at the federal level. On the other end of the scale, many important policies are developed by local governments. As media attention and policy discussions focus on federal and state-level policies, local government policies often fly under the radar.
This does not mean that local policies are unimportant. Local governments control key policy areas, most notably the zoning and building permitting processes, that can have a large effect on the scale and type of renewable (and other) energy development in their jurisdictions. In the case of solar energy, local government policies can contribute (positively or negatively) to the oft-discussed “soft costs” that make up the majority of solar deployment costs.
Some of the soft costs associated with local government policies reflect thorny policy concerns, such as preservation of historic neighborhoods and prevention of land-use conflicts. However, in many cases soft costs result more from a lack of clarity in zoning rules or unintended procedural hurdles than from deliberate policy decisions. These clarity and procedural issues often reflect the relative newness of distributed solar and the difficulty of regulating it within frameworks which were not designed with it in mind (similar issues are emerging with distributed energy storage and EV charging equipment, which are even more recent entrants into the popular market).
Since 2016, the SolSmart program has helped local governments reduce these barriers and foster local solar markets. SolSmart is administered by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. SolSmart is a recognition and technical assistance program that provides designation to local governments that have taken certain steps to reduce solar soft costs in their jurisdictions. Designation comes at three levels: Bronze, Silver, or Gold, with Gold being the highest level. The steps required to obtain SolSmart designation focus on the provision of clear and efficient definitions, rules, and processes rather than specific policy requirements, allowing communities to address other policy concerns while still providing a solar-friendly regulatory framework. Since its inception, the SolSmart program has provided designation to nearly 450 communities in 41 states and D.C. A review of the SolSmart program indicates that designated communities have increased solar installations and faster permitting processes.
To assist local governments in attaining designation, IREC and ICMA work with other organizations to provide technical assistance at no cost. DSIRE Insight team members have partnered with the SolSmart program several times to provide intensive technical assistance to communities in the U.S. Southeast. Any municipality, county, and regional organization in the United States is eligible to apply for SolSmart designation; please contact the SolSmart program for more information.