Fw: Direct Costs and Benefits of Massachusetts Solar Incentives Study Released

[Janet Sinclair]

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources <doer.smar...@0zc3.e2ma.net>

To: "jasin...@verizon.net" <jasin...@verizon.net>

Sent: Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 11:39:20 AM EDT

Subject: Direct Costs and Benefits of Massachusetts Solar Incentives Study Released

Direct Costs and Benefits of Massachusetts Solar Incentives Study Released Dear Solar Stakeholders, On October 1st, 2026, the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) released the Direct Costs and Benefits of Massachusetts Solar Incentives study with consultant support from Synapse Energy Economics and Sustainable Energy Advantage. The study can be found on DOER’s website or at the link below: Direct Costs and Benefits of Massachusetts Solar Incentives Study The goal of the study was to perform a thorough accounting of the direct utility system costs and benefits Massachusetts solar programs provided from 2018 through 2025. Direct costs and benefits affect electricity rates; they do not include broader socioeconomic impacts such as avoided greenhouse gas emissions, public health benefits, tax revenues generated, or jobs created.   Key Findings: The SMART program provides $1.49 in benefits to all ratepayers for every $1 spent. It provided $11.5 billion in direct lifetime benefits at a cost of $7.7 billion and provided almost $600 million in benefits in 2026 alone. Energy costs, including net metering, make up about 79 percent of the total cost of solar compensation and represent the largest opportunity to further improve cost-effectiveness. Solar installations deployed since 2018 have provided an average of $9 in annual savings per residential household, even those households with no direct connection to solar. Solar provides energy independence for Massachusetts consumers and helps insulate them from energy price spikes associated with the fuel supply costs of gas-fired generation. This is particularly true for the SMART program, for which, in most cases, total program costs per megawatt-hour are set when the solar array is installed. Regards, Samantha Meserve Director, Renewable and Alternative Energy Division Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources 100 Cambridge St., 9th Floor Boston, MA 02114

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