How we verify solar incentives, state by state
Solar is a your-money topic, and most solar-incentive sites scrape the same aggregator database. We don’t. Every program on this site is verified against and cited to its own official source — a state statute, public utility commission rule, energy-office page, or the IRS. This page explains exactly how, and why that matters.
Who’s behind this site
Solar Incentives by State is an independent publisher operated by VentureCorp, Inc. We are not an installer, a lead broker, a utility, or a government agency, and we do not accept payment to add, remove, or alter any program. The site answers one question accurately: what solar incentives can a homeowner in each state actually use right now?
Where our data comes from
| Data | Source | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| State & federal incentive programs | The official source for each program — state energy office, revenue/tax department, public utility commission, legislature statute, or the IRS/DOE — cited per program on every state page | The published, authoritative source for every program fact |
| Residential electricity rates | U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (March 2026) — a public-domain US government work | Payback context on state pages, the comparison, and the checker |
| Research index (pointers only) | A public incentives database was used solely to decide where to look (program names + candidate official URLs); its text is never read, copied, or cited | Research orientation only — official sources are the published source |
We deliberately do not cite, quote, or paraphrase any third-party incentive aggregator. The underlying legal facts — statutes, rules, tariffs, and program terms — are US government works and public records. Our selection of homeowner-relevant programs, our arrangement, and our written summaries are our own.
How we calculate
Every program is confirmed to exist and be current as of June 2026 against its official source, and its amount, eligibility, administrator, and citation are pulled from that source. Each carries a confidence grade: high (confirmed directly against the cited statute, rule, or official program page) or medium (the state is genuinely thin and/or one figure rests on statute text or an official search snippet because the official page blocks automated access — flagged on-page for a manual check). Programs that have been repealed or closed are kept only when homeowners still ask about them, and are clearly labelled no longer available — never mixed in with current incentives.
The most important fact we verify is a negative one. The federal residential Clean Energy Credit (§25D, the “30% credit”) expired for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Many competing sites still advertise a 30% federal credit for new installs — that is wrong for 2026, and we say so on every page.
Independence & how we make money
Some links on this site may be affiliate links to solar or energy partners; if you act on one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Partners never see or influence which programs we list or how we describe them, and no placement is for sale. We do not rank states or name a “best” state for solar.
Keeping it current
Solar programs change every legislative session and every utility rate case. We re-run the full primary-source verification quarterly (targeting the first week of January, April, July, and October), re-check any state whose statutes or tariffs changed that quarter, and re-pull EIA rates monthly. Each page carries its verification date; current verification: June 2026.
Corrections
Spot an error? Tell us and we’ll fix it. Contact us →