Powering the sunny South with solar energy
The potential to power our region with the sun
The sunny South has some of the greatest solar potential in the nation, yet solar energy remains a vastly underutilized resource across our region. The Northeast — not known for its sunny weather — is outpacing the South on rooftop solar installations. While some Southern states have seen major growth in solar adoption over the last five years, states like Alabama and Tennessee rank near the bottom nationally. Regionally, the percent of electricity generation from solar more than doubled from 2.4% in 2020 to 6% in 2025, slightly behind the national average of 8.8% in 2025 according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Underinvestment in solar comes with an enormous opportunity cost.
Of all the renewable energy resources available today, solar power has the smallest environmental footprint and a soaring growth rate. The solar industry has grown at an average annual rate of 28% over the last decade. This represents a significant economic engine, creating well-paying jobs and boosting rural economies. As long as the South remains behind the curve on solar, we’ll continue to lose jobs and economic development to other parts of the country. And at a time when electricity costs are rising, solar provides a cost-effective option to help homeowners keep energy bills down.
That’s why the Southern Environmental Law Center is working with partners across the South to advance policies that unlock solar potential for our region.
There is so much more solar potential in our region. Regulatory and utility policies have an enormous impact on whether we reach that potential or not.
Nick Jimenez, Senior Attorney
Protecting progress from political attacks
But that progress and potential is under attack. Since the 2024 election, the solar industry has faced intense whiplash from changing federal priorities and attacks on programs meant to expand access to household and community solar projects. Nationwide, solar is the fastest growing source of power, making up 54% of the total new electricity generating capacity added in 2025, at a time that the grid is facing increasing energy demands, largely attributed to data centers. This trend is expected to continue into 2025 with the EIA predicting that solar and storage will account for 81% of the total new capacity additions coming online.
SELC is focused on protecting that progress by continuing to support solar development across our region and defending programs like Solar for All from unlawful termination of Congressionally appropriated funds.
Why are utilities blocking access to solar?
Southerners have a lot to gain from solar power if utilities and local governments put fair policies in place. At the same time that solar energy has come down in price, some utilities are actually trying to make solar investments more expensive by charging households and businesses punitive fees, crediting rooftop solar customers for solar electricity they send to the grid at rock-bottom rates, and blocking access to common sense financing. Some of the greatest barriers to solar could be remedied by state legislatures or regulatory bodies – forums where utilities have wielded tremendous power and influence for decades. Despite growing recognition of the environmental and economic benefits of solar, many electric utilities remain more interested in preserving their monopolies than in giving Southerners the freedom of solar choice.
SELC is working to make solar accessible for all Southerners
We believe that the expansion of solar energy is inevitable, but we’re pushing utilities, lawmakers, and state utility commissions to accelerate solar deployment so that Southerners can reap the benefits of solar now and help slow the impacts of climate change as soon as possible. Solar currently employs more American workers per unit of generation than gas or coal power plants and employs over twice as many workers as the coal industry. This represents an enormous opportunity for job creation in a region with some of the highest unemployment and poverty rates in the nation.
Many households in the South have disproportionately high energy burdens, meaning more of their income goes toward energy bills. Communities of color and households that earn low or fixed incomes are also disproportionately exposed to pollution from fossil fuel emissions. Unlike coal or gas power, solar has no fuel costs, which helps protect customers from the risk of fuel price spikes. Investments in solar energy are a matter of environmental justice, and it’s crucial that our region decarbonize as quickly as possible to make our energy system cleaner and more affordable.
The Southern Environmental Law Center is also working to remove barriers for renters and homeowners of all income levels to make solar accessible for all Southerners. From a former coal miner turned solar installer in Alabama to a family farmer in North Carolina, from a pastor in Georgia to high school students in Virginia, everyone has their own reasons for going solar. We’re working with partners on the ground and utility customers in each state in the South to advance policies that unlock solar potential for all.
