Vermont (Statewide) Solar Permit Guide
Green Mountain Power (GMP) territory
Overview
GridPermit collects Vermont residential solar and permitting facts directly from official sources (city, county, and state government sites, utilities, and public utilities commissions) and shows only what we can verify, with a confidence score and a link to where it came from. Nothing here is estimated or inferred beyond what's stated below. See our methodology for the rules this page follows.
Permit timeline
Not yet verified.
GMP's own page states that for projects of 0-15kW (the typical single-family residential rooftop solar case), 'GMP emails you about any issues with the project by the 15th day following complete application' — a business-day figure for GMP's own review step under the state-centralized process. This is not a total end-to-end timeline including the PUC's own CPG issuance/denial step, which was not separately stated with a day-count.
Battery/solar incentive program on record
No battery/storage incentive program is on record for this locality.
Permit fees
- Net-Metering Registration Application Fee (Department of Public Service / Public Utility Commission): $100 (flat fee, paid at time of application)
Per 30 V.S.A. § 248c(d)(1), verbatim: 'There shall be a fee of $100.00 for each electric generation facility less than or equal to 50 kW in plant capacity, or for a rooftop project... filing a net metering registration.' A separate $25.00 fee applies for modifications (§ 248c(d)(2)). Companies that pay the state's gross receipts tax are exempt from this fee.
Rebates
Renewable Energy Sources Property Tax Exemption (32 V.S.A. § 3845) — Local Option
This is explicitly a LOCAL OPTION, not an automatic statewide exemption: per the statute's own text, 'At an annual or special meeting warned for that purpose, a TOWN MAY, by a majority vote of those present and voting, exempt renewable energy sources... from real and personal property taxation.' The exemption only takes effect in a given town if that town's voters affirmatively adopt it at town meeting, and 'shall continue until voted otherwise, in the same manner, by the town.' The statute explicitly covers net-metering systems regulated by the PUC under 30 V.S.A. § 8010 (i.e. ordinary residential rooftop solar) used for private/domestic/agricultural purposes, not for resale. Whether any specific Vermont town has actually adopted this exemption is NOT determined by this statewide record — it must be verified per-town, which this record (representing the state-centralized PUC process generically, not any one municipality) does not do.
Status on file: unknown. Verify current status before relying on this.
Utility and generation supplier
Utility
Green Mountain Power (GMP)
Generation supplier
Green Mountain Power (GMP) (utility)
No Community Choice Aggregator was found serving Vermont this session; GMP is recorded as both the distribution and default generation utility.
Interconnection
https://greenmountainpower.com/help/net-metering-project-requirements-process/
GMP's own interconnection page, directly verified this session, describing the process specifically for projects 0-15kW (the typical residential rooftop solar case): apply through the Vermont PUC's ePUC portal via Net-Metering Registration; GMP emails about any issues with the project by the 15th day following a complete application; the PUC then issues or denies the CPG.
Required documents
- Net-Metering Registration Form (filed via the Vermont PUC's ePUC portal) (required when: always — for roof-mounted PV systems up to 500kW, the eligible streamlined path)
Inspection steps
Not yet verified.
Eligibility constraints
- Property types: residential
- Max system size (AC): 15 kW
- Max system size (DC): Not yet verified.
- Max thermal capacity: Not yet verified.
- Program/pathway: Net-Metering Registration (streamlined path, PUC Rule 5.100/5.500)
- Other conditions:
- Roof-mounted photovoltaic systems up to 500kW are eligible for the simpler ePUC 'Registration' path; ground-mounted systems are only eligible for Registration up to 15kW, and require the fuller 'Application'/CPG process above that
- Interconnection approval from GMP is required before Net-Metering Registration for most system sizes; systems of 15kW or less are exempt from the separate interconnection-approval step per GMP's page
Official contacts
- GMP Distributed Resources team, phone: 802-770-3399, email: DR@greenmountainpower.com, official website
Need a solar installer who handles permits in Vermont (Statewide)?
EnergySage is an independent solar marketplace where you can request property-specific pricing from installers familiar with local permitting.
Compare quotes from solar installers →You'll continue on EnergySage's website. GridPermit has a partner relationship with EnergySage; this link is not currently tracked, and whether the partnership results in compensation to GridPermit has not yet been confirmed.
Sources
- Green Mountain Power (homepage), Green Mountain Power (utility). Accessed 2026-08-12.
- Net-Metering, Vermont Public Utility Commission (puc). Accessed 2026-08-12.
- Interconnecting Customer Generation, Green Mountain Power (utility). Accessed 2026-08-12.
- 32 V.S.A. § 3845 — Renewable energy sources (property tax exemption, local option), Vermont General Assembly (government). Accessed 2026-08-13.
- 30 V.S.A. § 248c — Fees; Department of Public Service and Public Utility Commission, Vermont General Assembly (government). Accessed 2026-08-14.
Frequently Asked Questions
What utility serves solar customers in Vermont (Statewide), Vermont?
Green Mountain Power (GMP) is the interconnection and distribution utility for Vermont (Statewide). The default electricity generation supplier is Green Mountain Power (GMP), a utility, separate from Green Mountain Power (GMP).
How long does a residential solar permit take in Vermont (Statewide)?
GMP's own page states that for projects of 0-15kW (the typical single-family residential rooftop solar case), 'GMP emails you about any issues with the project by the 15th day following complete application' — a business-day figure for GMP's own review step under the state-centralized process. This is not a total end-to-end timeline including the PUC's own CPG issuance/denial step, which was not separately stated with a day-count.
What documents are required for a solar permit in Vermont (Statewide)?
Commonly required documents include: Net-Metering Registration Form (filed via the Vermont PUC's ePUC portal).
Who do I contact about solar permits in Vermont (Statewide)?
GMP Distributed Resources team, phone 802-770-3399, email DR@greenmountainpower.com.