Is your home in an energy community?
Enter your ZIP code to check it against the federal energy community lists for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Updated for IRS Notice 2026-39, released June 10, 2026.
What the result means for you
An energy community result can lower your price on a solar lease or power purchase agreement (PPA). Those systems qualify for the federal clean energy investment credit, and a system in an energy community qualifies for a 10-percentage-point bonus on top. That extra value often shows up as a lower lease payment or PPA rate, with nothing for you to file.
If you buy your system with cash or a loan, the energy community bonus doesn't apply, and your incentives come from state programs instead. Massachusetts and Rhode Island both have programs for owned systems, covered in our guide to 2026 solar incentives.
For the full picture, including which counties qualify in each state and the deadlines that apply to new leases and PPAs, read our energy community guide and how to pay for solar in 2026.
How this lookup works
We match your ZIP code to the census tracts inside it, then check each tract against the Treasury Department's two current lists: the counties that qualify under the statistical-area test, and the coal-closure census tracts. If at least 98% of the ZIP code's land qualifies, we say yes. If only part of it does, we tell you so, because your exact address decides. Brownfield sites qualify one by one and are not included.
Frequently asked questions
What is an energy community?
An energy community is an area the federal government has identified as economically tied to fossil fuels. There are three kinds: statistical areas with fossil fuel jobs and above-average unemployment, census tracts with a closed coal mine or retired coal plant (and the tracts next to them), and brownfield sites. Solar built in one qualifies for a 10-percentage-point bonus on the federal clean energy investment credit, which can mean a lower price for you.
Does being in an energy community lower my solar cost?
It can, with a solar lease, power purchase agreement (PPA) or prepaid PPA. The bonus raises the federal credit those systems qualify for, and that value often shows up as a lower lease payment, PPA rate or prepaid price, with nothing for you to file. If you buy your system, state programs such as SMART 3.0 and the Massachusetts state tax credit are the incentives that apply.
How accurate is a ZIP code lookup?
It's a good first answer, not a tax determination. ZIP codes don't line up with counties or census tracts, so where a ZIP code crosses a boundary we tell you that part of it qualifies. Your installer or the system owner confirms eligibility from the exact address, and individual brownfield sites aren't mapped here.
How often do the energy community lists change?
The statistical-area list is updated every year, usually in June, when the Treasury Department publishes new unemployment data. The current list came out on June 10, 2026 in IRS Notice 2026-39 and applies until the 2027 update. The coal-closure list only grows over time. A system generally keeps the status it had when construction began.
Sources
- U.S. Treasury: energy communities data sets (Notice 2026-39 appendices)
- IRS Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-27 (Notice 2026-39)
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files
This lookup is a free planning tool, not tax advice. The system owner confirms eligibility for any tax credit.
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