The solar industry put some political muscle behind its message in 2026. Several of its targets lost.
That is one of the more consequential energy stories emerging from the midterm elections. Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress, while Minnesota elected Amy Klobuchar as governor and Peggy Flanagan to the U.S. Senate. With the DFL also securing control of the Minnesota Legislature, clean-energy supporters will enter 2027 with new opportunities to advance their priorities. apnews.com
For solar and energy storage developers, the question is how those results translate into projects getting built, customers saving money, and a more reliable electricity system.
The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, behind the “Don’t Mess With Solar” campaign, targeted several Republican candidates whose races ended in Democratic pickups. In Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, Janelle Stelson defeated Scott Perry. In Indiana’s 5th District, J.D. Ford defeated Victoria Spartz. Both incumbents were among the coalition’s announced general-election targets. www.canarymedia.com
Two other targeted races also changed parties. Teresa Benitez-Thompson defeated David Flippo in Nevada’s 2nd District, while Katy Padilla Stout defeated Brandon Herrera in Texas’s 23rd District. These victories expanded the coalition’s record beyond its earlier interventions in Republican primaries. www.canarymedia.com
Earlier in the year, the coalition spent against Rep. Chip Roy, who lost the Republican runoff for Texas attorney general, and Rep. Andy Ogles, who lost renomination in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. Those were primary defeats, distinct from November’s changes in party control. The coalition’s spending in the Ogles contest reached $2 million. www.eenews.net
These races had plenty of other issues in play. The results alone cannot tell us how much solar-backed spending influenced voters. They do, however, show an industry increasingly willing to organize around the businesses, workers, and investments behind renewable-energy development.
For lawmakers, that matters. Solar companies are becoming more willing to challenge policies that threaten their ability to build, including by participating in Republican primaries.
Established clean-energy advocates also won important races. Illinois Rep. Sean Casten secured reelection after co-leading the Energy Bills Relief Act, which proposes restoring clean-energy incentives, improving utility efficiency, and requiring large electricity users such as data centers to bear their own costs. His agenda provides a concrete framework for connecting renewable-energy development with household affordability. chicago.suntimes.com
In North Carolina, Roy Cooper flipped a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat. As governor, Cooper signed the state’s 2021 power-sector carbon-reduction law. His election brings experience advancing clean-energy policy to the incoming Senate. apnews.com
The new congressional majorities will have greater influence over legislation and oversight. But developers should distinguish political opportunity from policy that has actually changed. Election results do not automatically restore incentives or revise project eligibility requirements. With President Trump remaining in the White House, major legislative changes will still require negotiation.
The strongest case for progress starts with electricity customers. Rising demand and the need for infrastructure investment make affordability and reliability practical concerns across party lines. Community solar can extend bill savings to renters, businesses, and households that cannot install rooftop panels. Battery storage can shift electricity to periods of higher demand and help make better use of available generation.
Delivering those benefits requires workable programs and timely connections to the grid.
Minnesota has a foundation to build on. The Melissa Hortman Community Solar Garden Program, renamed in 2026, includes the state’s LMI-accessible framework, which expands participation and provides bill savings protections for income-eligible households. mn.gov
The incoming administration and Legislature should focus on turning that framework into more operating projects. Faster interconnection, predictable permitting, workable storage compensation, and accessible financing would help translate political support into construction, jobs, and customer savings.
For developers, those implementation decisions can be as consequential as new incentives. A project still needs a viable utility connection, manageable costs, and enough certainty to attract financing. Delays carry costs that eventually affect whether a project gets built and what electricity customers receive from it.
Solar and storage projects extend across election cycles. Durable policies and consistent approval processes give developers, utilities, landowners, and lenders a better chance to follow through on their commitments.
“Don’t Mess With Solar” helped give the industry’s political organizing a memorable name. The next test for incoming leaders is whether this election produces more affordable power, stronger infrastructure, and projects that move from development into operation.