By Anna Paolillo, ACT Summer Policy Intern

In 2025, we saw some wins and also some serious setbacks on the clean energy front across New England, as states grapple with complex issues including energy affordability, land use, cost allocation for grid upgrades, and how (or whether) to create markets conditions favoring the development of new energy resources that can help states meet ambitious climate goals. All of this was against the backdrop of the federal government’s effective abandonment and even outright attack on wind, solar, storage and energy efficiency investments.

On Wednesday, August 20, ACT’s Policy and Government Affairs team hosted our annual Legislative Roundup on outcomes across the region with our state partners: Nick Paul, Director of Legislative Affairs at Clean Energy New Hampshire; Eliza Donoghue, Executive Director at Maine Renewable Energy Association; Jonathan Dowds, Deputy Director at Renewable Energy Vermont; and Alexis Bourassa, Associate Lobbyist from Focus Government Affairs in Connecticut. Our very own Policy Analyst Oliwia Krupinska provided the rundown on Rhode Island, while our VP of Public Policy and Government Affairs covered Massachusetts—the state whose legislative business is halfway through a biennial session. 

Over 85 members of ACT’s Policy Committee joined the virtual roundup to gather insights into the overarching themes coming out of the sessions and understand the implications of certain bills. Additionally, the policy team and state partners took a look ahead to 2026 and identified the main concerns and focuses for upcoming legislative sessions. 

Progress is Still Happening  Despite Federal Clawbacks

In the wake of federal uncertainty and a reduction in clean energy incentives, one of the main themes on top of mind for everyone on the call was how to continue to make progress despite federal setbacks. 

During the roundup, Natalie Treat, ACT’s Director of Public Policy, remarked that “It’s been a bumpy road in clean energy, but we are hanging together, we are still making great things happen.” 

In his opening remarks, Tim Snyder, ACT’s Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs, spoke on the attacks the clean energy industry has been facing: “Anti-renewable narratives are being seeded and amplified at the highest levels and pushed down into local debates,” and that  “at the federal level, we’ve been facing not just headwinds, but a coordinated push in the wrong direction.” 

“In some ways, the situation at the federal level has prompted states to look more closely at what they themselves can do,” said Snyder. “This creates a real opportunity, if we can seize it, for smarter, more durable state-level policymaking. It's been a tough year, but the work remains urgent and we have real pathways ahead of us. It's one we are excited to pursue together.”

‍A Year of Notable Victories and Disappointing Setbacks 

Despite hurdles, some notable legislative progress was made across New England. This year's session required playing defense and protecting existing regulations. Jonathan Dowds of REV put it best, saying states were “successful in achieving modest goals.” In Vermont, this meant defeating bills like House Bill 289, which would have demoted existing climate requirements into goals, making them less stringent and not legally binding. 

Alexis Bourassa of Focus Government Affairs highlighted how busy this session was in Connecticut, noting that over 4000 bills were introduced, and only 6% passed. In the Energy and Technology Committee, the same theme persisted, with 174 bills introduced, with only 2 being passed. These two bills were Senate Bill 4 and House Bill 5004, both significant energy bills. SB 4 was the centerpiece of climate legislation, and a mixed bag for clean energy, with the halt of work on front-of-the-meter storage program development, and a weakening of the Renewable Energy Standard.

Maine wrapped up its legislative session on June 25, with some advances and one major disappointing bill, LD 1777, passing. This bill effectively ends the state's net energy billing program, which, since its inception in 2020, has helped to incentivize community solar projects across Maine. The passage of this bill also increases development risk and disincentivizes investors from looking to Maine as a place to do business, not just in solar development, but in all investments. 

The upside of Maine’s legislative session was the passage of bill LD 1270, which elevates the Governor's Energy Office into a Department of Energy Resources. This major win will provide more capacity for the state to undertake energy efficiency and clean energy development projects, supporting the transition to a modernized grid and more affordable energy.

Key Themes of 2025 

Affordability was on top of every state’s climate priorities this year, after the region was hit by one of the harshest winters in a few years, leading people to pay more attention to their energy bills. Energy costs in New England are some of the highest in the country. 

Unfortunately, affordability concerns were harnessed to attack clean energy efforts, misleading the public—and policymakers—into believing that eliminating clean energy investments would help lower energy bills. Snyder emphasized that clean energy is a solution to energy affordability, noting that “we have a good affordability story to tell, but we have lost some ground in telling it.”

Moving forward, states must work towards protecting the progress that they have made and get ahead of misinformation surrounding renewable energy. Snyder emphasized that focusing on the fundamentals, like cutting soft costs, fixing financing barriers, increasing regulatory certainty, and shortening project timelines, are all ways to support and keep momentum towards the energy transition in such hard times. 

The 2026 legislative sessions will be a year of opportunity to rewrite the narrative and push for state-level reforms that encourage clean energy development as a means to achieving energy affordability and make progress despite federal headwinds. ACT will continue working with our members through a variety of legislative and communications efforts to ensure policymakers make data-driven, prudent choices that promote the development of a clean energy future. 

To learn more about ACT’s policy work and get involved in our efforts, please email Natalie Treat, Director of Public Policy at ntreat@joinact.org.