New Jersey has enacted legislation to add 3 GW of community solar and 2 GW of energy storage by 2030
The law requires 3 GW of community solar registrations to open by October 2025 and full approvals by 2029
A5267/S4289 creates a large-scale energy storage incentive to ensure grid reliability and affordability while supporting job creation
The State of New Jersey in the US has enacted major legislation to expand solar energy and energy storage initiatives with the addition of 3 GW of community solar and 2 GW of energy storage capacity by 2030. When realized, this will double the state’s clean energy capacity.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently signed 2 key bills – S4530/A5768 and A5267/S4289 – that will accelerate the deployment of this capacity by directing the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) to ensure the deployment of this capacity.
The SA4530/A5768 directs the BPU to open registrations for 3 GW community solar projects by October 1, 2025. Registrations will need to be approved by December 31, 2029. The Governor’s office stated that the state’s current installed solar capacity has gone up from 2.4 GW to 5.2 GW under Murphy’s tenure, equivalent to powering over 600,000 homes. Of this, roughly 180 MW is community solar with more than 720 MW in the pipeline, according to the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA).
The addition of 3 GW of community solar will expand solar access for 450,000 additional homes, including 250,000 low-income families. This will enable the equivalent of 1 million households to receive solar power by 2028.
A5267/S4289 establishes a transmission-scale energy storage incentive program to achieve New Jersey's goal of 2 GW of energy storage by 2030.
The administration says these measures will accelerate the addition of clean energy capacity and lower electricity costs for the locals.
“By accelerating the process for bringing new sources of energy online and rapidly building new energy storage facilities, we will meet growing demand while also making life more affordable for our state’s families. As part of this process, we are going to create good-paying, union jobs and build a cleaner, more resilient future for every New Jerseyan,” stated Murphy.
Welcoming the initiatives, Charlie Coggeshall, the Mid-Atlantic Director of the national trade association CCSA, said, “This law doesn’t just build solar, it builds economic opportunity, consumer choice, and resilience for the communities that need it most.”
“This bill modernizes the program to meet today’s needs, cutting red tape, creating savings, and accelerating our clean energy transition. At a time of rising electricity costs, we should be making it easier, not harder, to build local solar projects that lower bills and reduce strain on our grid,” added Senator Vin Gopal, taking the opposite view from that of the federal government’s tightening of rules around renewable energy (see US Treasury Tightens Rules on Clean Energy Tax Credits).
Following the dismantling of clean energy tax credits under Biden-era’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), US President Donald Trump recently termed solar and wind energy the ‘scam of the century’.
While OBBBA is likely to lower demand for solar in the near term in the US, Wood Mackenzie believes that the long-term total addressable market remains strong, with over 70 million single-family homes expected to add solar in the next 25 years (see OBBBA Could Cut US Residential Solar Capacity By 46% By 2030).
TaiyangNews will explore the US solar market in view of the regulatory shifts at the upcoming RE+ 2025 event in Las Vegas, US. It is co-organizing the 2025 Solar Made in USA summit in collaboration with RE+ and EUPD Research. To be held on September 8, 2025, it will feature leading names from the world of solar to discuss the future of US solar and storage manufacturing and future strategies for the players in light of the regulatory hurdles created by the OBBBA. Registrations are open and can be done here.