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PRINTER'S NO. 1125
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 983
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MILLER, BROWN, COSTA, SANTARSIERO, SCHWANK,
LANGERHOLC, BARTOLOTTA, ARGALL, FLYNN, FONTANA, KANE,
KEARNEY, MALONE, LAUGHLIN, PENNYCUICK AND ROBINSON,
AUGUST 27, 2025
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
AUGUST 27, 2025
AN ACT
Providing for commercial/industrial rooftop solar generation;
establishing the Commercial/Industrial Rooftop Solar Program;
and promulgating regulations.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the
Commercial/Industrial Rooftop Solar Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Commercial/industrial rooftop." The rooftop of any building
that is a nonresidential building.
"Commercial/industrial rooftop solar project." A solar
energy generation system with a nameplate capacity of not larger
than three megawatts as measured in alternating current located
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on a commercial/industrial rooftop.
"Commercial/industrial rooftop solar project generator." A
nonutility owner or operator of a commercial/industrial rooftop
solar project.
"Commission." The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
"Electric distribution company" or "EDC." As defined in 66
Pa.C.S. § 2803 (relating to definitions).
Section 3. Commercial/Industrial Rooftop Solar Program.
(a) Program.--The commission shall establish the
Commercial/Industrial Rooftop Solar Program to implement the
provisions of this act.
(b) Payments.--An electric distribution company shall
provide, on a monthly basis, payment to any
commercial/industrial rooftop solar project generator equal to
the full value of electricity generated by the
commercial/industrial rooftop solar project and exported to the
EDC. The payment shall be calculated by multiplying the metered
output of the commercial/industrial rooftop solar project in
kilowatt hours by the EDC's nonhourly price-to-compare rate
applicable to small commercial customers for the month during
which the generation occurred, regardless of the distribution
service voltage, rate classification, utility meter type or size
or service type of the commercial/industrial rooftop solar
project.
(c) Onsite usage not required.--In order to qualify for the
Commercial/Industrial Rooftop Solar Program, a
commercial/industrial rooftop solar project:
(1) may export the entirety of the project's energy
generation to the EDC; and
(2) is not required to devote any of the project's
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energy generation to onsite usage.
(d) Duration of payments.--A commercial/industrial rooftop
solar project shall be entitled to receive payments under
subsection (b) for the duration of the project's serviceable
life.
(e) Maximizing usable project space.--A
commercial/industrial rooftop solar project may be built to
maximize the usable space of a commercial/industrial rooftop and
shall not be limited in size or scope based on the building's
onsite electricity usage.
(f) Multiple projects allowed.--A commercial/industrial
rooftop solar project generator shall be permitted to own or
operate multiple commercial/industrial rooftop solar projects on
the same or adjacent commercial/industrial rooftop or parcels
with aggregated nameplate capacity of three megawatts or greater
as measured in alternating current so long as each
commercial/industrial rooftop solar project:
(1) is individually metered;
(2) does not exceed three megawatts in capacity as
measured in alternating current; and
(3) is subject to a distinct interconnection agreement.
(g) Alternative energy credits.--
(1) A commercial/industrial rooftop solar project
generator is eligible to receive alternative energy credits
under the act of November 30, 2004 (P.L.1672, No.213), known
as the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, so long as
the generator's commercial/industrial rooftop solar project
is generating and exporting energy to the EDC.
(2) A commercial/industrial rooftop solar project
generator shall be entitled to retain, retire or sell all
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alternative energy credits received from the operation of a
commercial/industrial rooftop solar project.
(3) A commercial/industrial rooftop solar project shall
be certified for alternative energy credits pursuant to the
procedures and standards provided in the Alternative Energy
Portfolio Standards Act and the related regulations
promulgated by the commission.
(h) Interconnection of projects.--The interconnection of
commercial/industrial rooftop solar projects shall proceed
pursuant to the existing interconnection procedures and
standards promulgated by the commission, except to the extent
inconsistent with this section. The electric distribution
company must give interconnection approval to any
commercial/industrial rooftop solar project that meets the
requirements specified in this section.
(i) Commission approval of commercial/industrial rooftop
solar projects.--The commission shall approve an application for
a commercial/industrial rooftop solar project for participation
in the Commercial/Industrial Rooftop Solar Program if it meets
all of the requirements specified in this section, to which the
following shall apply:
(1) Within 180 days of the effective date of this
paragraph, the commission shall establish a process for the
owner or operator of a proposed commercial/industrial rooftop
solar project to submit applications with satisfactory proof
that the proposed project meets all of the necessary
requirements specified in this section.
(2) The commission shall approve or deny an application
for participation in the Commercial/Industrial Rooftop Solar
Program within 30 days from the date of the commission's
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receipt of the application unless, by written order providing
reasons, the 30-day consideration period is extended, which
may not exceed 30 additional days. The commission may not
extend the 30-day period more than once.
(3) Within 180 days of the effective date of this
paragraph, the commission shall establish a process by which
an owner or operator of a proposed commercial/industrial
rooftop solar project may petition for reconsideration of a
rejected application.
(j) Required wages and employee benefits.--
(1) No less than the prevailing minimum wages and
employee benefits as would be applicable to a project of
public work under the act of August 15, 1961 (P.L.987,
No.442), known as the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act, shall
be paid to each workman employed on a commercial/industrial
rooftop solar project if the following apply after the
effective date of this paragraph:
(i) the project has a maximum net output of greater
than one megawatt as measured in alternating current;
(ii) the project exports electricity to the EDC; and
(iii) the project receives compensation under the
Commercial/Industrial Rooftop Solar Program.
(2) As used in this section, the terms "public work" and
"workman" shall be as defined in section 2(5) and (7) of the
Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act.
(k) Right of project.--An owner of a net metered solar
energy project that is located or is to be located on a
commercial/industrial rooftop and that has paid a deposit to an
electric distribution company, has entered into an executed
interconnection agreement with the electric distribution company
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or has obtained customer-generator approval from the commission
before the effective date of any law, regulation or judicial
opinion that repeals, modifies or replaces the existing net
metering program shall have the right to:
(1) continue to net-meter the project and receive
compensation for excess generation under the terms,
conditions and standards under the Alternative Energy
Portfolio Standards Act as they existed prior to the law,
regulation or judicial opinion that repeals, modifies or
replaces the existing net metering program; or
(2) participate in the Commercial/Industrial Rooftop
Solar Program.
(l) Participation in program.--A solar project located or to
be located on a commercial/industrial rooftop that submitted an
interconnection application to the electric distribution company
prior to the effective date of this subsection and that meets
the requirements of this act shall have the right to participate
in the Commercial/Industrial Rooftop Solar Program.
Section 4. Regulations.
Within 180 days of the effective date of this section, the
commission shall promulgate regulations to implement the
Commercial/Industrial Rooftop Solar Program in accordance with
this act.
Section 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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