Applications are now being accepted for the third year of the Low and Moderate-Income Accessible Community Solar Garden Program (“LMI-Accessible CSG Program”).
During the 2023 Legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature made changes to the Community Solar Garden statute (Minn. Stat. 216B.1641), sunsetting the “Legacy” program operated by Xcel Energy and establishing a new program to be administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce (“Department”).
Information about the LMI-Accessible CSG Program can be accessed on the Department’s LMI-Accessible CSG Program website, with separate pages for consumers and developers. Visit the Department’s RFP website and search reference number CSG01_20260202 to download the full RFA and access the application portal.
The Department seeks applications from in-development solar systems seeking approval to become community solar gardens. No funding is available through this program. It will be the responsibility of individual developers or owners of community solar gardens (“Subscriber Organizations”) to sign up subscribers. Please note that the LMI-Accessible CSG Program is only available to projects built in Xcel Energy’s service territory and that all subscribers must be customers of Xcel Energy.
The application window for the 2026 RFA opens on Monday, February 2, 2026, and closes on Thursday, December 31, 2026. Commerce will review community solar applications in batches on a monthly basis, based on the calendar month that the application was submitted.
All expenses incurred in applying to this notice are solely the responsibility of the applicant.
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