Incentivizing Solar

Catalyzing Solar Energy Technology Adoption to Address the Challenge of Climate Change

Liam Regan, Brian Wong, Benjamin Lee Preston, Aimee E. Curtright

Expert InsightsPublished Jul 14, 2021

The U.S. energy landscape has changed markedly, and solar power is rapidly growing as a sector: In 2021, solar power is expected to make up 39 percent of new installed generation capacity. In this Perspective, the authors provide an overview of the U.S. solar energy market, the rapid changes that it has undergone over the past decade, and the challenges that lie ahead as the broader energy system evolves. In addition, they examine different incentives for increasing solar power and the roles that different stakeholders, particularly the federal government, play in incentivizing solar markets. The authors explore the potential implications of these incentives for different solar technologies and private-sector business models and identify characteristics of federal incentives that are consistent with the objective of achieving deep decarbonization of the U.S. economy. They also explore the reliability and resiliency of solar power, its co-benefits for the jobs market, and its availability to disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.

Topics

Document Details

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Regan, Liam, Brian Wong, Benjamin Lee Preston, and Aimee E. Curtright, Incentivizing Solar: Catalyzing Solar Energy Technology Adoption to Address the Challenge of Climate Change, RAND Corporation, PE-A1372-1, July 2021. As of September 11, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA1372-1.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Regan, Liam, Brian Wong, Benjamin Lee Preston, and Aimee E. Curtright, Incentivizing Solar: Catalyzing Solar Energy Technology Adoption to Address the Challenge of Climate Change. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2021. https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA1372-1.html.
BibTeX RIS

Research conducted by

This RAND Perspective was sponsored by the Amicus Solar Cooperative. The research was conducted in the Community Health and Environmental Policy Program within RAND Social and Economic Well-Being.

This publication is part of the RAND expert insights series. The expert insights series presents perspectives on timely policy issues.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.