In a year where protecting progress on climate-related laws was the priority, REV is able to celebrate a rare success from the just concluded 2025 legislative session: REV’s priority legislation for 2025, S.50, is now enacted into law.
The new law will make it easier and faster to go solar at home by raising the threshold for ground mount net metered projects to use a simple and affordable registration process.
S.50 also created reasonable statewide setback requirements for ground mounted solar and started the process of revising Vermont’s statutory definition of a “plant” that has been used to restrict the ability to co-locate solar in alongside existing arrays. By restricting “single plant” rulings, Vermont will be able to maximize renewable energy deployment in areas already developed and permitted for solar.
This bill would not have become law without the leadership of Senate Natural Resources & Energy Chair Anne Watson and House Energy & Digital Infrastructure Chair Kath James whose work ensured unanimous and bi-partisan votes in their committees.
S.50 was also supported by a range of environmental groups including VPIRG, CLF, the Vermont Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, VT Natural Resources Council and VT Conservation Voters. See below for a detailed section by section breakdown of S.50
Section 1: Allows owners of metering arrays commissioned after 7/1/25 to change their decision to retire/transfer RECs within 120 days of commission and allows an owner of a net metering system commissioned between 1/1/23 and 7/1/25 to change their decision to retain their RECs by submitting a request to the PUC by 9/2/25.
Section 2: Directs the PUC to create rules to allow ground mount solar arrays <25kW to qualify for the expedited registration process and expresses legislative intent that the PUC must allow net metered systems <25kW to use the registration process while the rules are being updated.
Section 3: Creates a statewide setback of 10’ from roads and property lines for solar arrays <25kW. Currently there is no setback requirement for ground mount solar arrays <15kW and a setback of 40ft from a road/25ft from a property line for arrays 15kW-25kW.
Section 4: Strikes the language requiring a homeowner with an array <25kW to file their CPG Municipal Notice Form with the PUC.
Section 5: Directs the PUC to consult with stakeholders and submit to the Legislature by 11/1/25 an amended definition of “plant” to allow for greater co-location of solar arrays. The PUC must consider land use benefits of co-locating solar, the potential impacts to ratepayers of any changes and the ability of regulators to adequately review co-located facilities and include an overview of their process and an explanation of their recommendation.
Section 6: Establishes July 1,2025 as the effective date for this law.