{"id":2022,"date":"2025-07-18T22:50:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T22:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/?p=2022"},"modified":"2025-07-21T20:08:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T20:08:22","slug":"where-solar-still-shines-top-bottom-states-for-solar-installation-after-federal-incentives-expire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/blog\/where-solar-still-shines-top-bottom-states-for-solar-installation-after-federal-incentives-expire\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Solar Still Shines: Top &amp; Bottom States for Solar Installation After Federal Incentives Expire"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2022\" class=\"elementor elementor-2022\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65c63e5 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"65c63e5\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-21cc6d8 elementor-toc--minimized-on-desktop elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"21cc6d8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:&quot;articles&quot;,&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;No headings were found on this page.&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:0,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;],&quot;container&quot;:&quot;#main-post&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;numbers&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of Contents\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__21cc6d8\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__21cc6d8\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__21cc6d8\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cf6c53f e-con-full custom-blog-style e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cf6c53f\" data-element_type=\"container\" id=\"main-post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f24b002 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f24b002\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the One Big Beautiful Bill passed on July 4, 2025, it reshaped the future of residential solar energy in the United States. One of its most consequential provisions was the elimination of the federal solar installation tax credit, effective January 1, 2027. For years, this 30% incentive helped millions of American homeowners afford the upfront cost of solar energy systems. With it gone, the economics of going solar have fundamentally changed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But for many homeowners, the decision to install solar panels isn\u2019t only driven by federal incentives. For these homeowners:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a financial decision: In states where electricity prices are already high and increasing every year, solar provides financial protection for homeowners.\u00a0 Additionally, some states provide strong financial incentives that can help to fill the gap that federal incentives will leave behind.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a climate decision: A growing number of households are motivated by the urgent need to reduce emissions, improve air quality, and take local action on climate change. And in sunny states, solar is disproportionately productive, resulting in increased ROI and an accelerated breakeven.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a preparedness decision: Others are concerned about worsening grid instability, frequent blackouts, or the rising cost of electricity from traditional sources.<br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At SolarTech, we wanted to answer a simple question: <\/span><b>Where in the U.S. does it make the most sense to install residential solar panels, even without the federal 30% tax credit?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To do so, we conducted a 50-state analysis using public data on:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Current electricity prices<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Year-over-year electricity price increase<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State-level solar incentives<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Total annual power outage hours<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Total annual sunshine hours<br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We created a weighted composite score to identify the 10 most favorable and 10 least favorable states for solar installation after federal incentives disappear. Here&#8217;s what we found.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ab1bc12 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ab1bc12\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Top 10 States for Post-Incentive Solar Installation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ab2f3be elementor-widget-mobile__width-auto elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ab2f3be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These states offer the most favorable conditions based on a combination of high electricity prices, strong solar incentives, abundant sunshine, moderate-to-high outage rates, and recent cost increases for electricity.<\/span>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>State<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Outage Hrs.<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Price per kWh<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>YoY Price Change<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>State Incentive Grade<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Sunshine Hrs.<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hawaii<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4.1<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">36.83\u00a2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-8%<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">D<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3172<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rhode Island<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1.7<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">25.61\u00a2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+13%<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">B<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2606<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Jersey<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1.8<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">16.86\u00a2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+9%<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2499<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">California<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5.9<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">25.54\u00a2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-1%<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">D<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3055<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Massachusetts<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4.4<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">25.31\u00a2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+9%<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">C<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2634<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maryland<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2.8<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15.97\u00a2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+9%<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">B<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2582<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New York<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3.4<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">19.99\u00a2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+11%<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">C<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2611<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connecticut<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3.2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">27.33\u00a2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+13%<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">D<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2585<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illinois<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3.5<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">13.36\u00a2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+11%<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">B<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2567<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arizona<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">0.9<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">13.28\u00a2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+8%<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">B<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3806<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><b>Insights<\/b><\/h3>\n<b>Hawaii<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tops the list despite having weak state incentives, simply because its electricity costs are extraordinarily high even with a recent price dip. Solar offers outsized savings potential here, especially when paired with storage for off-grid reliability.<\/span>\n\n<b>Rhode Island<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> combines the 3rd highest electricity prices with a notable 13% YoY increase and moderate grid instability. Its B-grade state incentives enhance the economics, making it a prime candidate for solar installation even without federal subsidies.<\/span>\n\n<b>New Jersey<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> stands out with the strongest state-level incentives (A-grade) and electricity prices that are high enough to ensure long-term savings. The grid is relatively stable, but the combination of financial and environmental benefits drives adoption.<\/span>\n\n<b>California<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> continues to be a solar leader thanks to high electricity prices and frequent outages. Even though recent policy changes have weakened state incentives, the overall economics remain favorable for homeowners, especially those with high usage or EV charging needs.<\/span>\n\n<b>Massachusetts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> benefits from high electricity costs and decent sun exposure. Its moderate grid reliability and C-grade incentive program are offset by consistently high utility bills that solar can help mitigate.<\/span>\n\n<b>Maryland<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>New York<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are both solid mid-Atlantic contenders, combining higher-than-average electricity rates, decent incentives, and moderate grid instability.<\/span>\n\n<b>Connecticut<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offers some of the highest electricity prices in the country, which outweighs its weaker state incentives and justifies solar investments purely on long-term savings.<\/span>\n\n<b>Illinois<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> breaks into the top 10 thanks to reliable state support and fast-growing electricity prices, despite more moderate baseline rates.<\/span>\n\n<b>Arizona<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rounds out the list largely on the strength of its abundant sunshine and decent incentive grade, which help push it into the top tier despite a more stable grid and mid-tier pricing.<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dc19b9b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"dc19b9b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Bottom 10 States for Post-Incentive Solar Installation\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-991527d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"991527d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These states ranked least favorable due to cheap electricity, minimal incentives, stable grids, and little or negative energy price growth\u2014conditions that make solar hard to justify financially.<\/span><\/p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><b>State<\/b><\/p><\/td><td><p><b>Outage Hours\/Year<\/b><\/p><\/td><td><p><b>Price per kWh<\/b><\/p><\/td><td><p><b>YoY Price Change<\/b><\/p><\/td><td><p><b>State Incentive Grade<\/b><\/p><\/td><td><p><b>Sunshine Hrs.<\/b><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Montana<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1.9<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10.23\u00a2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-1%<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2625<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iowa<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1.4<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8.48\u00a2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-1%<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2691<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">North Dakota<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4.4<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7.95\u00a2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">0%<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2446<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nebraska<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1.2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9.33\u00a2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+3%<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2812<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Idaho<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2.2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9.51\u00a2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+3%<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2993<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevada<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2.3<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9.66\u00a2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-15%<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3633<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wyoming<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2.0<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9.52\u00a2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+10%<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3180<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oklahoma<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">22.3<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8.53\u00a2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+4%<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3083<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Utah<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2.1<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9.97\u00a2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+16%<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3018<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arkansas<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15.3<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9.60\u00a2<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">+6%<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><\/p><\/td><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2771<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><h3><b>Insights<\/b><\/h3><p><b>Montana<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has low prices, minimal outages, and declining electricity costs, hardly a climate that favors solar financially, even for climate-conscious homeowners.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Iowa<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>North Dakota<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tie for the lowest electricity prices in the country. With no incentive infrastructure and stable grids, there&#8217;s little immediate benefit to going solar.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Nebraska<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Idaho<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have similarly cheap and stable power. Their lack of incentives leaves homeowners without financial tools to reduce upfront solar costs.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Nevada<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, despite being one of the sunniest states, experienced a significant drop in electricity prices (-15%), which weakens the ROI for new solar investments.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Wyoming<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Oklahoma<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> suffer from poor policy support and very low electricity prices. Even high outage levels in Oklahoma aren\u2019t enough to compensate.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Utah<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> saw the second-highest electricity price increase in the nation\u2014but starts from a low baseline and offers no state support, making solar an unattractive proposition.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Arkansas<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> combines relatively high outages with cheap energy and no incentives, limiting the appeal for solar installation in 2025 and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c70b45 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6c70b45\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Methodology<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9430e0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9430e0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To determine the best and worst states for solar installation after the expiration of the federal tax credit, SolarTech created a (weighted) composite score using the following metrics:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Electricity Prices (45%)<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Based on April 2025 residential rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Higher prices improve the economic case for solar adoption, resulting in a higher composite score.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>State Solar Incentives (20%)<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Pulled from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/home\/solar\/how-solar-friendly-is-your-state-we-scored-them-all\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CNET\u2019s 2024 rankings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Letter grades were converted to numeric values and normalized. Strong state incentives received higher scores.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Annual Sunshine Hours (25%)<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data gathered from NOAA and regional weather stations. More sunshine increases a system\u2019s solar energy yield and ROI, resulting in a higher composite score.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Power Outage Severity (10%)<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based on the most recent System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) data from the EIA, converted to hours per year. Fewer outages reduced the need for solar as a backup, resulting in a higher overall score.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li><li><b>Year-over-Year Electricity Price Change (10%)<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Calculated based on percent change in 2025 vs 2024 price per kilowatt hour in each state (EIA). States with larger price increases received lower scores, since affordability is deteriorating\u2014an issue solar can help address.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ae0010a elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"ae0010a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-305e511 cta-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"305e511\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9e0cb9a e-con-full custom-cta e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9e0cb9a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-14127d7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"14127d7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 style=\"color:#000000;font-size:42px;font-weight:bold\">See How Much You Can Save with Solar in Seconds<\/h2>\n<p>Curious about how much going solar could lower your electric bills? With cutting-edge satellite imaging and real-time data, you can now estimate your potential savings in just a few clicks\u2014no home visit required.<\/p>\n<p>Ready to take the first step toward energy independence and long-term savings?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-34f8cb7 elementor-align-center elementor-mobile-align-justify elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget-mobile__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"34f8cb7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dpopup%3Aopen%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6IjM4MTgiLCJ0b2dnbGUiOmZhbHNlfQ%3D%3D\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Get Your Instant Solar Savings Estimate<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7bb56de articles e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7bb56de\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eaec8c5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"eaec8c5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Related Articles<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d322928 elementor-widget elementor-widget-elementskit-blog-posts\" data-id=\"d322928\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"elementskit-blog-posts.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ekit-wid-con\" >        <div id=\"post-items--d322928\" class=\"row post-items\">\n                    <div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\n                                    <div class=\"elementskit-blog-block-post\">\n                        <div class=\"row no-gutters\">\n                            \n                            <div class=\"col-md-12 order-2\">\n                                <div class=\"elementskit-post-body \">\n                                    <div class=\"elementskit-entry-header\">\n                                        \n                                                                                            \t\t\t\t\t                                            \n                                            \n                                                                                            \t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/blog\/mission-solar-panels-review-2025\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMission Solar Panels Review 2025: Complete Analysis of Performance, Value &#038; Quality\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t                                                                                <\/div><!-- .elementskit-entry-header END -->\n\n                                                                            <div class=\"elementskit-post-footer\">\n                                                                                            <p>Executive Summary: Mission Solar Panels Review 2025 Mission Solar Energy stands out as one of the few remaining American solar panel manufacturers, producing high-quality photovoltaic modules in San Antonio, Texas since 2014. 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Stay prepared and ensure your family&#8217;s comfort and safety with our expert tips and product recommendations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,30,14],"tags":[72,18,23,16],"class_list":["post-2022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industry-news","category-energy-storage","category-solar-energy","tag-power-outage","tag-solar-energy","tag-solar-panels","tag-solar-technology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2022\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/solartechonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}