Jess Wilder
Sep 1, 2025
New Jersey just took a giant leap forward in clean energy accessibility. With new legislation signed on August 22, 2025, the state is rapidly expanding its Community Solar Energy Program (CSEP).
On August 22, 2025, Governor Phil Murphy signed landmark legislation that will dramatically expand access to clean, affordable energy in New Jersey.
The new law (S4530/A5768) directs the Board of Public Utilities to open registration on October 1, 2025, for 3,000 megawatts of new community solar capacity. This is enough to serve an estimated 450,000 additional residents, including 250,000 low-income families.
This expansion is designed to ensure that everyday electricity users, regardless of whether they rent or own their homes, can benefit from solar energy and the guaranteed bill savings it provides without needing to install any equipment on their properties. By 2028, the state expects to reach the equivalent of one million households powered by solar.
While the program’s design prioritizes residential customers, commercial users, including small businesses, are also eligible to subscribe and save on their energy bills, further broadening the reach of clean energy across the state.
Alongside this expansion, a companion law (A5267/S4289) creates a new program to build 2,000 megawatts of energy storage by 2030, helping stabilize the grid and reduce costs by storing clean power when demand is low and supplying it during peak hours.
Together, these measures strengthen New Jersey’s position as a national leader in renewable energy, more than doubling the state’s solar capacity since 2018 and making clean energy more accessible, equitable, and affordable for all.