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Independent U.S. Solar Guidance

Section: Incentives & Policy

State Solar Rebate Programs Still Funded in 2026 (And Which Ones Just Closed)

By ClearWatt Editorial Team · Published July 26, 2026

Exterior daytime view of the Wisconsin State Capitol building, home to a state legislature that funds and administers solar rebate programs
Photo: Ryan Wick / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Short answer: As of mid-2026, Illinois Shines, the Massachusetts SMART program, and Connecticut’s Residential Renewable Energy Solutions program are open and funded. Maryland’s original rebate program closed in late 2024 and its funded successor has run through most of its budget quickly. Connecticut’s earlier program closed in 2021-2022, but because it hit its capacity target early, not because funding ran out.

Why “is it still funded” is the real question in 2026

State rebate and performance-based incentive programs behave differently from a tax credit or a property tax exemption. A tax credit generally stays available to anyone who qualifies until the law creating it is repealed or amended. A rebate program, by contrast, is usually funded through a specific budget allocation, a capacity block (a fixed number of megawatts), or a statutory target, and once that cap is reached, the program can close to new applicants — sometimes permanently, sometimes reopening later with new funding at a different rate. That makes “is this program open right now” a genuinely time-sensitive question rather than a settled fact you can look up once and trust indefinitely. The five examples below, current as of mid-2026, illustrate both sides: three programs currently open and accepting applications, and two that closed for very different reasons.

Open: Illinois Shines (Adjustable Block Program)

Illinois Shines, the state’s Adjustable Block Program, is active and currently in “Block 6” as of early-to-mid 2026. Pricing for residential systems of 25 kW or smaller is running roughly $65-80 per Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC), with payments distributed over a 15-year term. Current program details and block status are published on the official Illinois Shines site, and the program’s 2026-27 draft guidebook lays out the terms for the coming program year. Because the program moves through blocks with different pricing as capacity fills within each block, the specific per-REC rate a new applicant locks in depends on exactly when they apply, not a single fixed statewide number.

Open: Massachusetts SMART Program (mid-redesign)

The Massachusetts SMART program is open and actively being restructured. The Department of Energy Resources allocated 600 megawatts of capacity for Program Year 2026, which opened January 1, 2026 — but residential systems of 25 kW or smaller are exempt from that capacity cap entirely and can enroll at any time regardless of how much of the 600 MW block has filled. On May 19, 2026, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities approved a full program redesign, referred to as SMART 3.0, under docket 25-175. Under the new structure, residential participants receive a flat rate of roughly $0.03/kWh for 20 years, rising to roughly $0.06/kWh for low-income households. Coverage of the redesign is available from Solar Power World and NuWatt Energy. Because the program is actively transitioning between rate structures, applicants in 2026 should confirm which tranche of the program — pre- or post-redesign — applies to their specific application timing.

Open: Connecticut Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES)

Connecticut’s current residential solar incentive program, Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES), is open and administered by Eversource and United Illuminating under the oversight of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). Participants choose between a Netting Tariff, which credits generation similarly to retail-rate net metering, or a Buy-All Tariff, a fixed rate locked in for 20 years. Program details are available through Connecticut Green Bank and the State of Connecticut’s PURA program page. RRES is the direct successor to Connecticut’s original rebate program, covered below.

Closed and reopened, tightly funded: Maryland

Maryland’s original Residential Clean Energy Rebate Program ended on November 30, 2024. It was replaced in early 2025 by the Maryland Solar Access Program (MSAP), a grant-based program rather than a straightforward rebate. MSAP itself ran tight on available funds quickly: as of April 15, 2026, 99% of MSAP funding was already reserved, with the application window effectively closed by February 2026 — well before any announced end date. A new funding cycle for fiscal year 2027 reopened July 29, 2026, with an application deadline of May 31, 2027, but given how quickly the prior cycle exhausted its funding, homeowners considering this program should apply promptly once a cycle opens rather than assuming a posted deadline reflects actual availability. Current status is tracked on the Maryland Energy Administration’s clean energy program page and the state’s clean energy portal.

Closed for a good reason: Connecticut’s original RSIP program

Connecticut’s earlier residential incentive, the Residential Solar Investment Program (RSIP), closed in 2021-2022 — but not because it ran out of money or was cut by a budget decision. RSIP closed because it successfully reached its statutory 350 megawatt capacity target, ultimately reaching 378 MW, a year ahead of its scheduled December 2022 deadline. That is a meaningfully different kind of closure than Maryland’s funding-constrained pause: it reflects a program that accomplished what it was designed to do and was succeeded by RRES, the currently open program described above. Details on RSIP’s legacy status are on the Connecticut Green Bank site.

Five programs, current status

Program State Status as of mid-2026 Why
Illinois Shines Illinois Open (Block 6) Ongoing Adjustable Block Program, steady capacity releases
SMART Program Massachusetts Open, mid-redesign Residential ≤25kW exempt from capacity cap; SMART 3.0 approved May 2026
RRES Connecticut Open Successor to RSIP, funded under PURA oversight
Maryland Solar Access Program Maryland Open but tightly funded 99% reserved by April 2026; new cycle opened July 29, 2026
RSIP (original) Connecticut Closed Hit its 350 MW statutory target ahead of schedule

The lesson these five examples model

None of this status is permanent. A program open today can close within months if it’s capacity- or budget-limited, the way Maryland’s MSAP nearly did within its first year, or the way Connecticut’s original RSIP did after years of steady enrollment. Conversely, a program that’s closed isn’t necessarily gone for good — Maryland’s own rebate landscape shows a closed program (the original rebate) replaced by a new one (MSAP) within months. The only reliable approach is checking the administering agency’s own page immediately before you apply, not relying on a program’s reputation or a past article’s snapshot of its status. For the broader landscape of state incentive categories beyond rebates — tax credits, property tax exemptions, and net metering — see our state solar incentives guide. None of these state programs were affected by the federal Section 25D credit’s expiration on January 1, 2026, covered in our federal solar tax credit guide, since state rebate funding and federal tax law operate on entirely separate tracks.

This article reflects program status as reported by the sources above as of the consultation date noted; state rebate program funding changes frequently, so confirm current availability directly with the administering agency before assuming any program listed here is still open when you read this.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Are state solar rebates still available after the federal tax credit expired?

Yes, in some states. State rebate programs are funded and administered independently of federal tax law, so the expiration of the federal Section 25D credit on January 1, 2026 did not affect them directly. Programs like Illinois Shines, the Massachusetts SMART program, and Connecticut's RRES program remain open and funded as of mid-2026, though each operates under its own separate rules and budget.

Why do state rebate programs open and close, unlike tax credits?

Most state rebate and performance-based incentive programs are funded through a capped budget, a capacity block, or a statutory megawatt target rather than an open-ended tax provision. Once that cap or target is reached, the program can close to new applicants, sometimes reopening later with new funding and different rates. A tax credit, by contrast, generally remains available to anyone who qualifies until the underlying law is changed.

Does a program closing always mean something went wrong?

No. Connecticut's original residential rebate program, RSIP, closed in 2021-2022 specifically because it successfully hit its statutory 350 megawatt capacity target ahead of schedule, not because of a budget cut or policy reversal. That is a meaningfully different, more positive closure than Maryland's program, which ran through its funding and had to pause new applications.

How can I check if a specific program is still accepting applications right now?

Check the program's official administering agency page directly, not a third-party list, since funding status can change within weeks. For the programs covered here: Illinois Shines publishes block status at illinoisshines.com, Massachusetts SMART updates are posted by the Department of Energy Resources, Connecticut's RRES program status is on the PURA and Connecticut Green Bank sites, and Maryland's program status is on the Maryland Energy Administration site.

Written by

ClearWatt Editorial Team

The ClearWatt Editorial Team researches and writes every guide on this site. We work from primary sources — federal and state agencies (EIA, NREL, DSIRE, IRS), legislative text, utility rate schedules, and manufacturer documentation — rather than summarizing other websites' coverage of the same topic. We are not licensed solar installers, financial advisors, or tax preparers, and nothing published here is a substitute for advice from one. When a figure can't be traced to a specific, current source, we say so and give a range instead of a false-precision number. Articles are dated, and we correct confirmed errors promptly. See our Editorial Policy for the full standard every guide is held to, and About & Methodology for the sources we draw from.