Introduction
To support commercial and utility-scale solar sales teams in the United States, the following analysis considered three (3) relevant metrics:
- How much commercial/utility-scale solar the state is encouraging — state incentives, REC programs, procurement targets, clean-energy standards, etc.
- How expensive electricity is for commercial/industrial customers — because that creates the economic reason to build solar.
- What is likely to happen from 2027–2030 — especially programs that are being expanded, renewed, or just coming online.
Current Environment, Q4 2026:
The 30% federal business solar credit is being phased out December 31, 2026. Rules now require qualifying solar projects to be placed in service by 12/31/26 or meet the applicable construction-start requirement (note: energy storage retains ITC incentives through 2032).
EIA’s (US Energy Information Association) June 2026 commercial electricity price average is 14.19¢ / kWh. But there’s a big range, from roughly 8–10¢ in some Plains/Southwest states to more than 27¢ in California and 48¢ in Hawaii.
Solar energy solutions will provide better operator/owner ROI in US states with high commercial electricity rates. EIA’s June 2026 numbers show particularly high commercial electricity prices in California 27.33¢, Massachusetts 24.52¢, New York 23.56¢, Rhode Island 22.70¢, Maine 22.24¢, New Hampshire/Vermont 21.22¢, Connecticut 19.62¢, and New Jersey 18.47¢.
Commercial & Industrial Solar Carports
For sales teams selling commercial solar carports, ten (10) US states have favorable state incentives, tax structures, or public programs that improve customer ROI. These states are:
1. Massachusetts
2. Rhode Island
3. New Jersey
4. New York
5. Connecticut
6. Maryland
7. California
8. Pennsylvania
9. Colorado
10. Michigan
| State | Commercial ¢/kWh* | State solar/incentive situation | 2027–30 outlook | C&I Solar Sales opportunity |
| California | 27.33 | Major clean-energy programs, storage incentives, utility programs | Very strong | A+ |
| Colorado | 14.19 | Clean-energy requirements, tax/financing incentives, utility programs | Very strong | A |
| Connecticut | 19.62 | Commercial solar programs; very strong policy commitment | Programs extended through 2035 | A+ |
| Maryland | 16.84 | Solar incentives, SRECs, clean-energy policy | Very strong | A+ |
| Massachusetts | 24.52 | SMART 3.0 + very high electricity prices | Excellent | A+ |
| Michigan | 16.63 | Clean-energy standard + utility programs | Strong 2027–30 | A- |
| New Jersey | 18.47 | SuSI/CSI solar incentive structure | Excellent | A+ |
| New York | 23.56 | NY-Sun + major clean-energy procurement | Excellent through 2030+ | A+ |
| Pennsylvania | 13.33 | AEPS/SRECs + PEDA financing + C-PACE | Strong | A- |
| Rhode Island | 22.70 | Commercial solar grants + carport adder + REG | Excellent | A |
*Electricity prices are in June 2026 average commercial prices from EIA
Massachusetts
Massachusetts’ SMART 3.0 is a very good example. The program actually has a specific canopy adder, while the state has one of the highest commercial electricity prices in the country.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island is interesting. Its current Renewable Energy Fund has a Commercial Scale Solar Program, and it has a $0.55/W carport adder, up to $200,000 per project, plus a storage adder.
Utility-Scale Solar Ground Mount Solutions
For sales teams selling utility-scale ground mount solutions to solar EPC’s, landowners, municipalities, etc., fourteen (14) US states have favorable state incentives, tax structures, or public programs that improve customer ROI. These states are:
1. Texas
2. Illinois
3. California
4. Nevada
5. New Mexico
6. Virginia
7. New York
8. North Carolina
9. Arizona
10. Colorado
11. Georgia
12. Indiana
14. Pennsylvania
| State | Commercial ¢/kWh* | State solar/incentive situation | 2027–30 outlook | C&I Solar Sales opportunity |
| Arizona | 12.47 | Property-tax/solar exemptions and utility programs | Strong solar market | B |
| California | 27.33 | Major clean-energy programs, storage incentives, utility programs | Very strong | A+ |
| Colorado | 14.19 | Clean-energy requirements, tax/financing incentives, utility programs | Very strong | A |
| Connecticut | 19.62 | Commercial solar programs; very strong policy commitment | Programs extended through 2035 | A+ |
| Georgia | 11.91 | Limited statewide direct incentives; utility procurement | Strong utility growth | B |
| Illinois | 14.53 | Illinois Shines + utility-scale REC procurement | Strong, but watch REC funding | A+ |
| Indiana | 14.15 | Limited state incentives; utility/large-project opportunities | Strong industrial/utility potential | B |
| Nevada | 9.83 | Major renewable tax abatements | Very strong utility solar | A |
| New Mexico | 10.82 | 10% state solar tax credit, through 2031 | Very strong utility solar | A |
| New York | 23.56 | NY-Sun + major clean-energy procurement | Excellent through 2030+ | A+ |
| North Carolina | 10.51 | Utility procurement; limited state incentive | Strong utility market | B+ |
| Pennsylvania | 13.33 | AEPS/SRECs + PEDA financing + C-PACE | Strong | A- |
| Texas | 8.66 | Limited state incentive; enormous utility/industrial market | Extremely strong utility-scale | A- utility / B commercial |
| Virginia | 10.99 | Clean Economy Act + utility solar procurement | Very strong 2027–30 | A |
*Electricity prices are June 2026 average commercial prices from EIA
New York
NY-Sun remains a major state solar program, and New York has expanded its distributed solar target to approximately 10.5 GW by 2030. NYSERDA continues to provide incentives for commercial PV, including projects from 750 kW upward. Commercial electricity is 23.56¢/kWh.
Utility-scale solar ground mount sales teams should be targeting:
- Parking garages
- Distribution centers
- Manufacturing plants
- Hospitals
- Universities
- Municipalities
- Airports
- Large corporate campuses
Illinois
Utility-scale solar ground mount sales teams have opportunities in the ground-mount business in Illinois. Illinois Shines provides incentives through the purchase of RECs for distributed solar, including onsite and community solar. Illinois also has an entirely separate pathway for utility-scale solar REC procurement.
There’s a problem though; Illinois’ own budget modeling currently projects a potential RPS budget shortfall beginning in the 2028–29 delivery year, which could eventually constrain Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for All if the forecast materializes.
Nevada
Nevada’s commercial electricity price isn’t particularly high (9.83¢/kWh), but Nevada has something else: a serious large-scale renewable tax-abatement program.
The Nevada Renewable Energy Tax Abatement program provides partial sales/use-tax and property-tax abatements for qualifying renewable facilities, and the state continues to approve large solar projects.
California
California has by far the highest combination of:
- Electricity cost
- Solar deployment
- Storage
- Grid constraints
- Corporate sustainability demand
- Commercial development
Commercial electricity is currently 27.33¢/kWh. The problem with California is the regulatory/engineering/contractor complexity.
Texas
Texas commercial electricity: 8.66¢/kWh.
Texas is currently one of the most important electricity-demand growth stories in America. Its interesting to note that Texas may generate far more steel tonnage for solar system metal component suppliers because of the scale of utility projects.
EIA is projecting U.S. electricity demand to reach another record in 2027, with data centers/AI and electrification major contributors. The West South-Central region, particularly Texas, is expected to account for a large portion of the growth.
Therefore, Texas isn’t necessarily a commercial electricity-cost play. It’s a power-demand + utility-scale solar + industrial development play.
That’s a very different sales strategy. Utility-scale solar ground-mount sales teams could target:
- Utility-scale developers
- Industrial parks
- Data-center developers
- Large manufacturing
- Battery storage developers
- ERCOT projects
- Solar + storage
AI Data Center Opportunities
EIA now expects U.S. electricity consumption to hit successive records in 2026 and 2027, with data centers being a major driver. A data-center developer doesn’t necessarily care that solar saves them 20% on electricity. However, they may care about:
- Getting additional power
- Reducing peak demand
- Meeting corporate clean-energy commitments
- Avoiding transmission constraints
- Obtaining additional generation behind the meter
- Pairing solar with BESS
- Controlling long-term energy costs
That makes states such as Texas, Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Georgia, Indiana, and Pennsylvania potentially much more interesting than their ordinary solar-incentive rankings would suggest.
