West Virginia’s Solar Incentives & Financing

Ahh, solar incentives. They’re wonderful! And they’re critical to consider when determining how much solar will cost you. You may be eligible for national incentives, as well as state, local, and utility-specific incentives depending on where you live. Learn more about incentives and financing.

Incentives

REAP

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and/or energy efficiency improvements.

Agricultural producers with at least 50 percent of gross income coming from on-site agricultural operations are eligible to apply for competitive grant funding and guaranteed loan financing through REAP.

Competitive grants are available for up to 25 percent of total eligible project costs. Loan guarantees are available for up to 75 percent of total eligible project costs. Combined grant funding and loan guarantees are available for up to 75 percent of total eligible project costs.

See if you are eligible for a REAP grant here.

This program has positively impacted West Virginia agricultural producers and rural business owners in myriad ways, learn more here.

Right now, Congress has an opportunity to improve and expand this impactful program. Learn more and take action.

Financing 

PPAs

In 2021, West Virginia became the 29th state to allow Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). PPAs are a widely available method to finance distributed energy generation projects.

How do Power Purchase Agreements work? 

  • Tax-paying third-party developer installs, owns , and operates a distributed energy system on a customer’s property,
  • Customer purchases the system’s electric output at a fixed rate – generally lower than that of the local electric utility- for a predetermined time period, usually 15-25 years

Who can utilize a PPA?

  • Municipalities and governments
  • Commercial businesses and manufacturers
  • Tax-exempt entities like schools, churches, hospitals, and nonprofits
  • Farms
  • Homeowners

How do PPAs benefit customers? 

  • PPAs allow customers to benefit from distributed energy with low to zero upfront cost while enabling electric savings from day one.
  • PPAs allow customers to lock in their energy rates, so they can stabilize monthly budget expenditures and protect themselves against utility rate increases
  • PPAs allow tax-exempt customers to benefit from tax credits through the project’s developer