Community Power Scorecard: Illinois Leads While Most States Receive ‘D’ or ‘F’ Grade

Most states in the U.S. have a long way to go for improving community power, based on the results of a new scorecard by the Institute of Local Self-Reliance (ILSR).

The Community Power Scorecard evaluated each state based on 18 written policies, and each state could earn up to 87 total points. Policies could touch on net metering, third-party ownership, renewable energy interconnection, community solar, community choice energy, investments in inclusive utilities, and more. Some policies, like gas ban preemptions or right of first refusal, received negative points, as ILSR noted that certain policies could be worse for community energy goals than no policy at all. 

Based on the scores for the evaluated policies, the score was then converted into percentages, with an A being 90-100%, B being 70-89%, C as 50-69%, D for 30-49% and F for anything up to 29%.

For the 2025 scorecard, no states received an A grade, and only one state, Illinois, received a B. The state promotes making rooftop solar more affordable for residents through the Illinois Solar for All program and received high marks for net metering and community solar policies. In total, the state received 66 points out of 87.

“Illinois scores well across most of the elements in the scorecard,” John Farrell, co-director of ILSR told Inside Climate News. “All of these policies sort of create an environment to allow widespread ownership and development of clean energy at the local level. Illinois checks the boxes on those, and they do really well.”

Thirteen states were ranked as average for community energy with C grades, while the remaining 37 states received Ds and Fs. Fourteen states received Ds, while an F grade had the highest number of states, at 23.

Alabama received the lowest score at 3%, with a total of 3 points out of 87, followed by South Dakota with 4 points or a 5% score. Missouri received a 26%, but had a lower score than last year, when it earned a D with 34%.

However, actual efforts for community energy may be different from what these scores suggest, because ILSF evaluated written policies, not implemented policies. As Inside Climate News reported, this could explain why Illinois received a higher score despite implementation for its policies not always meeting expectations.

The results reveal that every state has plenty of opportunities to improve equitable, resilient and clean energy policies that offer better consumer protections and keep energy affordable.

The report has been published annually since 2018. The latest scorecard raises questions about how scores could change over the next year under an administration focused on fossil fuels. There are also concerns over whether Inflation Reduction Act funds, some of which are designated for clean energy projects, will be released to states.

“The work of advancing energy democracy requires continued advocacy, vigilance, and effort,” ILSR stated.