There has never been more bi-partisan interest in the Indiana General Assembly towards advancing legislation that would make rooftop solar more affordable and accessible. Here are the bills that have been filed. The first three have to do with net metering. The fourth has to do with PACE financing. And the fifth has to do with streamlining regulations governing customer-owned solar for Hoosiers who live in neighborhoods governed by home owner associations. Unfortunately, all bills are, as of early March 2021, dead. But lawmakers do need to hear from you that you support legislation to make rooftop solar more affordable and accessible…the more they hear it, the more they will move from being passive supporters of solar to active ones!
2021 Customer-Owned Solar Legislation
Neutral
HB 1560, Rep. Speedy (R-Indianapolis)
Many Hoosiers live in neighborhoods where their homeowner associations (HOAs) have severe restrictions on installing solar at a home. Such a restriction, reflected in a covenant, might be an outright ban on solar or a prohibition on putting up solar on a rooftop. HB 1560 would streamline the requirements for putting up solar in HOA areas across Indiana; we are presently studying this language.
Support
SB 405, Sen. Qaddoura (D-Indianapolis)
This bill authorizes cities, counties, and other local units of government to establish PACE financing districts. Such districts, upon enactment of a local ordinance, can then issue bonds, for which the bond proceeds can be used to provide low-interest loans to small and medium businesses that travel with the property - not the property owner.
Support
HB 1394, Reps. Cook (R-Cicero), Negele (R-Attica), Shaibley (R-Carmel)
Extends net metering - expressly for schools, cities, and counties - by two years (beyond the planned phase out of net metering in the middle of 2022).
Support
SB 420, Sen. Yoder (D-Bloomington)
This bill would a.) extend net metering by five years, b.) effectively triple the number of solar owners that can benefit from rooftop solar, c.) increase, by fivefold, the size of the systems that are eligible for net metering, and d.) allow for meter aggregation.
Support
SB 249, Sen. Alting (R-Lafayette)
This bill would extend net metering by two years and would effectively triple the percentage of solar owners who could benefit from net metering.
