I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4162 
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to increase partici-
pation in community solar programs and the receipt of associated bene-
fits, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2025 
Ms. CASTOR of Florida (for herself, Ms. ANSARI, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. 
BONAMICI, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. 
KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. TONKO) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Gov-
ernment Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program 
to increase participation in community solar programs 
and the receipt of associated benefits, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Community Solar Con-
sumer Choice Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. COMMUNITY SOLAR CONSUMER CHOICE PROGRAM; 
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION IN 
COMMUNITY SOLAR. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COMMUNITY SOLAR FACILITY; COMMUNITY 
SOLAR PROGRAM; SUBSCRIBER.—The terms ‘‘com-
munity solar facility’’, ‘‘community solar program’’, 
and ‘‘subscriber’’ have the meanings given those 
terms in paragraph (22)(A) of section 111(d) of the 
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 
U.S.C. 2621(d)). 
(2) NATIONAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘Na-
tional Laboratory’’ has the meaning given the term 
in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 15801). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Energy. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY SOLAR CON-
SUMER CHOICE PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall establish a program to increase access to com-
munity solar programs for— 
(A) individuals, particularly individuals 
that do not have regular access to onsite solar, 
including low- and moderate-income individuals; 
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(B) businesses; 
(C) nonprofit organizations; and 
(D) States and local and Tribal govern-
ments. 
(2) ALIGNMENT WITH EXISTING FEDERAL PRO-
GRAMS.—The Secretary shall align the program es-
tablished under paragraph (1) with existing Federal 
programs that serve low-income communities. 
(3) ASSISTANCE TO STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL 
GOVERNMENTS.—In carrying out the program estab-
lished under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 
(A) provide technical assistance to State, 
local, and Tribal governments, and other enti-
ties, for projects to increase access to commu-
nity solar programs; 
(B) assist State, local, and Tribal govern-
ments in the development of new and innovative 
financial and business models, including afford-
able rate structures, that leverage competition 
in the energy marketplace in order to serve sub-
scribers; and 
(C) use National Laboratories to collect 
and disseminate data to assist private entities 
in the financing of, subscription to, and oper-
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ation of community solar facilities and commu-
nity solar programs. 
(c) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION IN COM-
MUNITY SOLAR PROGRAMS.—The Secretary, to the extent 
practicable, shall expand the existing grant, loan, and fi-
nancing programs of the Department of Energy to include 
community solar programs. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY SOLAR PRO-
GRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 111(d) of the Public Util-
ity Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2621(d)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(22) COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) COMMUNITY SOLAR FACILITY.— 
The term ‘community solar facility’ means 
a solar photovoltaic system that— 
‘‘(I) allocates electricity to mul-
tiple electric consumers served by an 
electric utility; 
‘‘(II) is connected to local dis-
tribution infrastructure of the electric 
utility; 
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‘‘(III) is located either on or off 
the property of 1 or more subscribers; 
and 
‘‘(IV) may be owned by an elec-
tric utility, 1 more subscribers, or a 
third party. 
‘‘(ii) COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.— 
The term ‘community solar program’ 
means a service provided by an electric 
utility to an electric consumer served by 
the electric utility through which the value 
of electricity generated by a community 
solar facility may be used to offset charges 
billed to the electric consumer by the elec-
tric utility. 
‘‘(iii) SUBSCRIBER.—The term ‘sub-
scriber’ means an electric consumer who 
participates in a community solar program. 
‘‘(B) STANDARD.— 
‘‘(i) NON-TRIBAL
UTILITIES.—Each 
electric utility that is not a Tribal utility 
shall offer a community solar program to 
which all ratepayers of the electric utility, 
including low-income ratepayers, have equi-
table and demonstrable access. 
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‘‘(ii) TRIBAL UTILITIES.— 
‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—A Tribal util-
ity may offer a community solar pro-
gram. 
‘‘(II) 
RESOURCES.—A 
Tribal 
utility that offers a community solar 
program may leverage the resources 
made available to the Tribal utility 
under this Act to carry out that com-
munity solar program. 
‘‘(C) OWNERSHIP OF COMMUNITY SOLAR 
FACILITIES.—A community solar program es-
tablished pursuant to this paragraph shall in-
clude a mechanism to allow electric utilities, 
non-utilities, and other appropriate entities to 
assume complete or partial ownership of rel-
evant community solar facilities, as necessary to 
deliver customer benefits and mitigate the im-
pacts of market concentration. 
‘‘(D) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER 
GUIDANCE.—The Secretary shall provide tech-
nical assistance and other guidance necessary to 
carry out a community solar program pursuant 
to this paragraph, including to State, local, and 
Tribal governments, as appropriate.’’. 
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(b) COMPLIANCE.— 
(1) TIME LIMITATIONS.—Section 112(b) of the 
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 
U.S.C. 2622(b)) is amended— 
(A) by indenting paragraphs (4) through 
(8), and any subparagraphs within those para-
graphs, appropriately; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9)(A) Not later than 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of this paragraph, each State regulatory authority 
(with respect to each electric utility for which the State 
has ratemaking authority) and each nonregulated electric 
utility shall commence consideration under section 111, or 
set a hearing date for consideration, with respect to the 
standard established by paragraph (22) of section 111(d). 
‘‘(B) Not later than 2 years after the date of enact-
ment of this paragraph, each State regulatory authority 
(with respect to each electric utility for which the State 
has ratemaking authority), and each nonregulated electric 
utility shall complete the consideration and make the de-
termination under section 111 with respect to the stand-
ard established by paragraph (22) of section 111(d).’’. 
(2) FAILURE TO COMPLY.—Section 112(c) of 
the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 
(16 U.S.C. 2622(c)) is amended— 
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(A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘sub-
section (b)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (b)’’; 
and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘In 
the case of the standard established by para-
graph (22) of section 111(d), the reference con-
tained in this subsection to the date of enact-
ment of this Act shall be deemed to be a ref-
erence to the date of enactment of that para-
graph (22).’’. 
(3) PRIOR STATE ACTIONS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Section 112 of the 
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 
(16 U.S.C. 2622) is amended— 
(i) in subsection (h), in the subsection 
heading, by striking ‘‘OTHER’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(i) PRIOR STATE ACTIONS.—Subsections (b) and 
(c) shall not apply to the standard established by para-
graph (22) of section 111(d) in the case of any electric 
utility in a State if, before the date of enactment of this 
subsection— 
‘‘(1) the State has implemented for the electric 
utility the standard (or a comparable standard); 
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‘‘(2) the State regulatory authority for the 
State or the relevant nonregulated electric utility has 
conducted a proceeding to consider implementation 
of the standard (or a comparable standard) for the 
electric utility; or 
‘‘(3) the State legislature has voted on the im-
plementation of the standard (or a comparable 
standard) for the electric utility.’’. 
(B) CROSS-REFERENCE.—Section 124 of 
the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 
1978 (16 U.S.C. 2634) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: ‘‘In the case of the 
standard established by paragraph (22) of sec-
tion 111(d), the reference contained in this sec-
tion to the date of enactment of this Act shall 
be deemed to be a reference to the date of en-
actment of that paragraph (22).’’. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY SERV-
ICES. 
Section 501(b)(1) of title 40, United States Code, is 
amended by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(B) PUBLIC
UTILITY
CONTRACTS.—A 
contract under this paragraph for public utility 
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services may be for a period of not more than 
30 years.’’. 
Æ 
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