When it comes to seeking renewable energy resources, all 50 United States are in a “Race to the Sun.” Each state’s journey to solar power has become its own unique collaboration—and sometimes a competition—between governments, utility industries and residents.

In Chicago, incentives that take advantage of the city’s dense footprint, put Illinois in a leading role. Similar incentives implemented statewide have made chilly, old-world Massachusetts into a solar-power hotbed. Meanwhile in California, tension between ambitious homeowners and big utility companies, have made both sides stronger and faster in the race.

Incentives and Alternatives

Cities like Chicago and Boston have nowhere to go but up. As infrastructures strain to remain sustainable and keep up with steady population growth, solar energy presents an attractive alternative.

However, it requires abundant sunlight and property that faces direct sunlight, which dense cities in the Northern U.S. lack. As a result, there are still certain barriers to tapping solar energy on a large scale, but great potential for local harnessing.

The argument has been taken to heart. In Massachusetts, the Mass Solar Loan Program has provided appealing loans to property owners for the installation of solar panels. The state rose to number four in the U.S. for its solar installations in 2014.

In Chicago, another area not known for solar farms in the adjacent countryside, there has been a remarkable spike in solar power production. This is apparently the result of multiple incentives and programs, both at the municipal and state level.

The Race to Go Off the Grid Versus… The Grid

Ask anyone what part of the U.S. comes to mind when they think of solar energy and most will say California. The Golden State is already known for sprawling solar farms that look like lakes in the desert, and its green-minded citizens that are eager to solar energy sources over the carbon alternative. For better or worse, the state is also known for drama.

The solar farms in California are operated by the state’s big utility interests; Southern California Edison, PG&E and others. But the solar panels Californians put on their roofs are not. Not only does owning solar panels remove individual homes off the state’s utility grid, they also offer the opportunity for homeowners to create their own grid.

Panel owners can give or even sell power to their neighbors. Whether as local entrepreneurs or development landlords, they can liberate entire blocks of families from dependence on the electric companies, with a few strategically-placed panels, all while naming their own price.

The utility giants have tried to limit how much individual consumers can profit off their private solar investments, much the same as cable providers try to prevent neighbors from sharing connections.

While these states may lead the way currently, it probably won’t be long before more states get onboard. As solar energy continues to prove itself to be the most viable source of alternative energy available, it seems like only a matter of time.

Want to know more about solar power and how switching to solar can help you drive your electric bill down to zero? Contact us today for a free quote.