Connecticut Green Bank Receives National Clean Energy Leadership Award for Solar MAP+

The Connecticut Green Bank announced that its Solar Marketplace Assistance Program Plus (Solar MAP+) has received a 2026 State Leadership in Clean Energy Award from the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA). The biennial awards recognize outstanding state programs and projects that accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies, with winners evaluated by an independent panel of judges based on leadership, innovation, cost-effectiveness, and replicability.

Solar MAP+ is a clean energy development and financing program that provides end-to-end solar and energy storage project support for municipalities, K–12 schools, state agencies, and affordable multifamily housing. By positioning the Green Bank as a public developer and not solely a financier, the program helps remove persistent barriers that can prevent public and mission-driven institutions from accessing solar and storage, including limited staff capacity, complex procurement, project risk, and financing constraints.

“This national recognition underscores Connecticut’s leadership in developing practical, innovative clean energy solutions that deliver real benefits for our communities,” said Lonnie Reed, Chair of the Connecticut Green Bank’s Board of Directors. “Solar MAP+ shows how ambitious clean energy goals can be translated into completed projects that lower energy costs, increase community resilience, strengthen public and mission-driven institutions, and create a model that other states can replicate.”

Since its launch, Solar MAP+ has completed 69 projects, installed 56.3 megawatts of capacity, and generated more than $150 million in clean energy investment. The program is also helping affordable multifamily housing properties share financial benefits directly with tenants, resulting in an average of $350 in annual savings per tenant.

“Solar and battery storage projects can be difficult to advance, especially for organizations that do not have dedicated energy staff or experience navigating procurement, financing, and project development,” said Mackey Dykes, Executive Vice President of Financing Programs at the Connecticut Green Bank. “Solar MAP+ brings together technical assistance, contractor solicitation, proposal review, incentives, and financing, so communities and property owners can move from interest to implementation with confidence.”

For Connecticut municipalities, schools, and state agencies, Solar MAP+ provides the tools, resources, and experience needed to make renewable energy projects more achievable. The program supports site analysis, project design, contractor solicitation, proposal review, financing, and execution, which help communities capture the benefits of solar and battery storage without having to navigate the marketplace alone.

“For local leaders and property owners, the priority is delivering meaningful outcomes for the people they serve, including more affordable energy, greater resilience, and progress toward sustainability goals,” said Emily Basham, the Connecticut Green Bank’s Director of Solar MAP+. “Our program allows them to focus on those community benefits while the Green Bank helps manage the technical and financial complexity behind the scenes.”

CESA’s judges noted the program’s replicability and the Green Bank’s expanded role in project development, stating that Solar MAP+ is innovating the role of the green bank from lender to lender and developer and is “highly replicable, cost-effective, and successful in its implementation.”

“The Connecticut Green Bank has long been a national leader in clean energy, and the judges recognized the Green Bank’s ability to design and implement influential and innovative programs,” said Warren Leon, Executive Director of the Clean Energy States Alliance.

A recent Solar MAP+ expansion for affordable multifamily housing selected eight Connecticut properties for solar projects expected to collectively deliver approximately 2.4 megawatts of clean energy to 473 residential units. Those projects are expected to provide property owners with an average of approximately $569,000 in lifetime energy cost savings while helping tenants save, on average, more than $350 annually in energy costs.

"Participating in the Connecticut Green Bank Solar MAP+ program helped us overcome the major barriers to going solar by providing no-cost technical assistance and project development support. The solar project at Quarry Heights is expected to reduce our operating expenses while also saving our residents hundreds of dollars each year on their utility bills," said Allen Harrison, Executive Director, Portland Housing Authority. 

The 2026 State Leadership in Clean Energy Awards were presented in July 2026. An independent panel of expert judges selected seven winners from state clean energy agencies across the country. For more information about the award-winning programs, judges’ bios, and to see photos of the award winners, visit: www.cesa.org/projects/state-leadership-in-clean-energy/2026-awards.  

Connecticut Green Bank | www.ctgreenbank.com

Clean Energy States Alliance | www.cesa.org