Since the inauguration of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in 2007, the state has installed 29.8 megawatts (MW) of solar energy capacity, ranking it behind only California and New Jersey when it comes to states with the most installed solar capacity. With such an increase in solar capacity during his first term, it would have been easy for the state’s governor, Deval Patrick, to call it a job well done, satisfied for at least a few years with the state’s progress.

But as Patrick begins his second term as Governor, he has made it clear that the state’s energy goals have yet to be fully realized. He and his administration have set a new goal of installing 250 MW of solar energy capacity by 2017. That’s enough clean power to fully account for the energy use of at least 37,500 average Massachusetts homes each year. The state has a long way to go meet that goal; currently, Massachusetts has 33.3 MW of installed solar capacity.

So can Massachusetts reach this fairly ambitious goal? The state certainly has legislation and a number of programs in place to help it along.

Since 2003, Massachusetts has provided funding for energy-related initiatives via the Massachusetts Energy Trust (MET). In January 2007 — shortly after beginning his first term as Governor — Patrick introduced the Commonwealth Solar program to offer solar rebates to home and business owners who install solar energy. The state funded the program with $68 million of MET money. The program turned out to be a huge success, as the funds were wiped clean by October 2009. In fact, the program was such a hit that Massachusetts legislature had almost no choice but to pass the Commonwealth Solar II program for installations of 5 kilowatts (kW) or fewer.

There appears to be something for everyone in Massachusetts who wants to install solar. The 2008 Green Communities Act allows homeowners who install solar to save anywhere from $300 to $600, and the state’s Commonwealth Solar Stimulus is an $8 million program to help business owners pay for some of the cost of a rooftop solar installation.

So why so many incentives in Massachusetts as opposed to other states? First of all, the state government is committed to a clean energy future. Second, there’s a demand for it. So as long as incentive programs are used up, the state is likely to continue to fund them, and Massachusetts is likely to continue trekking toward a solar future.