HONOLULU, Hawaii – Hawaii is a national leader in rooftop solar power, and the state has an ambitious goal of using only renewable energy by 2045. But people are being shut out of solar incentive programs because of limits set by the state.
On Maui, a program that reimburses customers that supply energy to the grid reached its maximum in June. Experts say the cap will likely be reached on Oahu — the state’s most populated island — by the end of summer.
Around the country, several states that offer tax credits for solar installations have been ending programs or allowing them to expire. Utilities have lobbied lawmakers and regulators nationwide to reduce incentives, arguing that the solar industry can stand on its own.
