Can solar policy get SMART(er) in Massachusetts?

The Baker Administration is proposing a number of tweaks to the leading solar policy, and while the biggest conflict is over how big the program should be, siting is also a significant issue. Of all the policies for distributed solar in the United States, few are as sophisticated as what the administration of Governor Charlie Baker (R) came up with to continue the state’s solar progress. And yesterday the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program took a step towards becoming even more sophisticated and refined, with the administration’s proposals to tweak the program as part of its first formal review. The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has proposed a number of changes to the program, which it plans to expand by 800 MW to 2.4 GW. In initial responses to the straw proposal, this was what advocates pounced on, with Vote Solar calling for an increase by 3.2 GW to 4.8 GW total, and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is also calling the 800 MW “insufficient”.