The common refrain in Washington is that it’s too dark and dreary for solar to make sense. However, Maine and Vermont show that solar can work in northern climates. And with electricity prices now rising, the payback period for many households can be far shorter than expected.

Solar is Rare in Washington, Plentiful in Maine and Vermont

Solar energy provides barely more than 1 percent of the electricity in Washington state. The abundance of cheap hydropower leads to it having a 63 percent share of electricity, and even wind provides four times as much electricity as solar. 

Many people assume that Washington is too cloudy to generate much solar energy. Yet that argument fades away when we look at the weather and usage of solar in some other northern states.

While Washington at 45 to 49 degrees latitude is slightly further north than Vermont, which is at 42 to 45 degrees north, fully 18 percent of electricity generation in Vermont comes from solar. And even though the Farmers’ Almanac ranks western Washington as the cloudiest state in the United States, Vermont is second. 

Maine, at 41 to 45 degrees north, generates 16 percent of its power from solar. Head overseas to Germany, even further north at 47 to 54 degrees latitude, and solar also accounts for 16 percent of power generation. And while Maine is somewhat less cloudy than western Washington, Germany has many areas similar to Washington. 

If Maine and Vermont as well as Germany can create plenty of power with solar despite their northern locations and cloudy days, dark and dreary weather is not the main barrier. Public policy and payback periods are actually key drivers for solar power.

Public Policy in Maine Drove Growth

The situation in Maine offers an example of what can work. Indeed, PV Magazine said Maine leads the country in solar generation at 700 watts per person.

About six years ago, Maine Public explained, lawmakers expanded Maine’s net metering program. The new policy encouraged renewable energy by giving residents, businesses and larger solar developments credits for power they send back to the grid. That policy led to a lot of solar construction. The program was modified several times by lawmakers, though, and Maine's net energy billing program is coming to an end. A new law, passed this session, stops new developments from receiving benefits and cuts compensation for existing solar farms. The full effects of the changes remain to be seen.

Community solar was also a key driver in Maine, PV Magazine added, accounting for 53 percent of Maine’s total solar capacity by the end of 2025.

Solar Spiked in Dreary Vermont Too

Vermont has had a different driver for solar energy. Its in-state electricity generation has come almost entirely from renewable energy since the shutdown of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station at the end of 2014. Since the power plant's closure, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) explained, more than 80 percent of Vermont's electricity supply came from out of state. 51 percent of the supply comes from hydroelectric power, mostly from Canada. Solar energy has grown from almost nothing in 2011 to 18 percent of in-state electricity generation today. Key drivers included a “standard offer” program that required utilities to buy renewable power and net metering that paid homeowners for power they send back to the grid.

The Challenges in Washington

While solar in Maine and Vermont has accelerated rapidly, Washington is a laggard. Washington has per capita installation just 17 percent of the national average, according to WASEIA, with only 1.4 percent of households having rooftop solar. 

One potential factor is the cost of installation. Arizona and California have among the lowest costs, at about $3.01 and $3.04 per watt respectively, according to Ecowatch, while Massachusetts and Alabama are among the highest at $3.72 per watt. Washington sits at $3.36, while Vermont is $3.59 per watt and Maine is $3.64. State-level differences are driven mostly by labor cost, permitting friction, utility interconnection complexity, and competitive installer density.

A bigger issue may be the payback period. JouleIO estimates the payback period in Washington state at 15 years, the next-to-worst after Alaska. It is about 9 years in Maine and Vermont. A key reason is that electricity in Washington is relatively inexpensive. While it is not as cheap as in North Dakota and Idaho, which are at about 12 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh), according to the EIA, Washington at 14 cents is not far behind. Vermont is at about 24 cents per kwh and Maine at about 30 cents. 

Hydroelectric power accounted for about 63 percent of Washington’s electricity generation, the EIA reported, which is a key driver of those lower prices. Natural gas is the second-largest source of net generation, fueling about 16 percent of the state’s total in 2025. Renewable resources other than hydroelectric power accounted for about 11 percent of state generation, with wind representing about four-fifths of that share. Solar energy supplies a small amount of Washington’s total electricity generation.

However, rate increases are coming soon in Washington. PSE and Seattle City Light in western Washington have requested about 9 percent increases for 2027, and Avista in eastern Washington raised rates nearly 6 percent in 2026. Those increases can cut the payback period significantly.

If the payback period of 15 years is based on current electricity prices, the timeframe may drop dramatically if electricity prices rise. A homeowner may see the payback period reduced to 9-11 years if prices rise 6 percent per year or 7-9 years if electricity prices rise 9 percent per year. An advantage of a solar system is that once it’s installed, electricity it generates is free and price increases hardly matter. 

Reconsidering Solar in Washington

While a common refrain in Washington is that it’s too cloudy and too expensive to install solar, the combination of experiences in other northern locations and rising prices for electricity make it worth recalculating the costs and benefits. It seems better to take a closer look at solar rather than making a decision on a northern latitude, overcast skies or outdated financial forecasts