Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program

Payne Institute and Mines Advanced Energy Systems student Austin Kinzer writes about the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) incentive program that is designed to achieve policy goals of social equity, efficient siting, and effective grid integration by incentivizing specific land-use, offtaker, and system design characteristics. A closer look at the systems operating under the SMART incentive with data from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) reveals that the effectiveness of these incentives is variable and policy changes may be necessary to achieve desired outcomes, particularly for low-income communities.  March 4, 2021.