New Jersey
22 GW of commercial solar potential. 17.5 GW still untapped.
Across 89,000 commercial and industrial rooftops, New Jersey has built one of the most active C&I solar markets in the US — driven by policy, density, and some of the highest commercial electricity rates in the country.
New Jersey doesn't need to be convinced about commercial solar. The state has mandatory renewable portfolio standards, an active SREC-II and Transition Incentive program, and commercial electricity prices that regularly rank among the highest in the country — all of which have made the economics of rooftop C&I solar straightforward for over a decade. The market has moved. Developers are active. The pipeline is real.
But at 7.2% adoption across 88,000 commercial rooftops, New Jersey is still early. More than 17 GW of rooftop capacity sits uninstalled — not because the conditions are wrong, but because the market is large, dense, and still in the broadening phase. The question isn't whether the next wave will come. It's where it concentrates, which utility territories are leading, and which are carrying the most remaining runway.
The national picture
New Jersey's adoption curve is a textbook takeoff pattern. The largest rooftops — above 100,000 ft² — sit at 30% adoption. The smallest, below 5,000 ft², are under 2%. The line runs steeply upward with size, exponential in shape, which is the signature of a market where the economics have been proven at the top and the middle is just beginning to follow.
What's notable is where the curve hasn't bent yet. At the national average of 7.2%, New Jersey hasn't crossed the inflection that would mark it as broadening — that typically happens when the largest segment passes 30–35% and the 12,500–25,000 ft² band starts accelerating. The top segment is sitting right at that threshold. The middle segments — 12,500 to 50,000 ft² — are between 9% and 13%, well below the national ceiling. This is the pre-broadening moment: the conditions are set, the proof is at the top, and the pull-through into mid-range rooftops is beginning.
The density of the state amplifies this. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the US, and its commercial rooftop stock is concentrated in a compact geography — logistics corridors, retail strips, industrial clusters along the Turnpike and GSP. When the broadening happens here, it happens fast, because the neighbor effect has nowhere to dissipate.
Regional breakdown
Public Service Electric Gas Co.
↑ topPSE&G's territory is the engine of New Jersey C&I solar. With 48,422 rooftops — more than half the state — and 13.3 GW of potential, it carries the largest absolute opportunity by a wide margin. Adoption at 7.3% matches the state average, and the curve runs cleanly exponential: 2% on the smallest segment, 30% on the largest. That top-end figure is the signal — the biggest rooftops in the most densely industrial part of the state are now crossing the threshold where the middle pulls up behind them. The 10.5 GW of untapped capacity here isn't a static figure; it's the runway ahead of an accelerating market.
Jersey Central Power Light
↑ topJCP&L's territory covers central and northern New Jersey — a mix of suburban commercial, light industrial, and logistics. At 25,993 rooftops and 5.6 GW of potential, it's the second-largest territory. The adoption curve is the strongest in the state at the top: the largest segment sits at 32%, just above PSE&G, and the 50,000–100,000 ft² band reaches 22% — meaningfully above the state average. The curve is beginning to straighten, which puts JCP&L in the earliest stages of the broadening phase. 4.4 GW untapped, and the mid-range segments are next to move.
Atlantic City Electric
↑ topACE covers southern New Jersey — more dispersed, less industrially dense than the north, anchored by retail, hospitality, and light commercial. At 10,580 rooftops and 2.4 GW of potential, it's the smallest of the three major territories. Adoption at 6.9% is fractionally below the state average, and the curve is shallower at the top — the largest segment reaches 26%, compared to 30–32% in PSE&G and JCP&L. That gap reflects the territory's building stock: fewer large industrial rooftops, more mid-sized retail and service facilities. The 2.0 GW untapped is real but concentrated in segments that are earlier in their cycle than the north.
Rockland Electric Company
↑ topRockland's NJ service area is small — 1,769 rooftops, 429 MW of potential — but punches above its weight on adoption. At 8.6%, it leads all four major territories, and the top segment reaches 29%. The footprint is compact and suburban, concentrated in the far north near the New York border. The 351 MW untapped is modest in absolute terms, but the adoption signal here is the most advanced in the state — this is a territory already in the broadening phase, where the gains will come from the 12,500–50,000 ft² mid-range.
Municipal Utilities
↑ topNew Jersey's municipal utilities — Vineland, Madison, South River, Butler, Park Ridge, Milltown, and Sussex REC — collectively cover 1,665 rooftops and 294 MW of potential at 2.9% adoption. These are small, dispersed commercial building stocks in individual communities; the low adoption reflects fragmentation, not structural lag. Vineland is the only municipal territory large enough to warrant standalone outbound targeting. The rest are best worked as part of a county-level canvass.
Where the next large opportunity is
The headline is 17.5 GW untapped across 88,000 rooftops. The more useful frame is where that capacity sits relative to how far each territory has moved — and in New Jersey, that answer is concentrated.
PSE&G carries the dominant pool: 10.5 GW untapped at 7.3% adoption, in the densest, most industrially active part of the state. The sheer scale of the territory means that even at above-average adoption on the largest rooftops, the absolute count of unconverted buildings remains enormous. JCP&L adds another 4.4 GW, with an adoption curve that is fractionally more advanced than PSE&G — its largest rooftops are already crossing 32%, and the mid-range is the next target. These two territories together account for more than 85% of the state's untapped capacity.
ACE is a different story. The 2.0 GW untapped in southern New Jersey is real, but the building stock is shallower — more mid-range retail and service buildings, fewer large industrial rooftops. Adoption has progressed more slowly there, not because the economics are weaker (electricity prices are similarly high) but because the concentration of large-rooftop industrial operators that drives the takeoff signal in the north is less present. For operators focused on volume and density, the north leads.
The municipal utilities — Vineland, South River, Butler, Madison, Park Ridge, Milltown, and Sussex REC — collectively account for around 1,665 rooftops and roughly 300 MW of potential, with adoption well below the state average at 2.9%. These are individual communities with small commercial building stocks. The opportunity is fragmented and local. Vineland is the largest single municipal territory at 933 rooftops and 190 MW of potential, and is the only one that would merit a targeted outbound effort as a standalone market. The rest are best approached as part of a broader county-level canvass rather than individually.
What's driving adoption
The structural driver in New Jersey is policy continuity. The state's Renewable Portfolio Standard requires 35% renewable energy by 2025 and 50% by 2030, with a specific carve-out for solar. The SREC-II program and its successor Transition Incentive (TI) program have provided a stable, predictable floor for commercial solar returns for over a decade — long enough for EPC pipelines to professionalize around C&I origination.
The economic case is reinforced by electricity prices. New Jersey's average commercial electricity rate sits consistently above the national average, which compresses the payback period on behind-the-meter solar. For industrial and logistics operators with daytime load profiles — the dominant commercial building type in the PSE&G and JCP&L territories — self-consumption economics are strong without relying on incentive stacking.
Community solar and the Board of Public Utilities' ongoing interconnection reforms have also expanded access for mid-sized commercial buildings that previously faced barriers to direct rooftop systems. Corporate decarbonization targets are layered on top: many of the large-rooftop operators in the north are distribution and logistics facilities for national chains with public sustainability commitments, which adds a non-financial driver to the commercial calculus.
Key takeaways
- New Jersey's 22 GW potential leaves 17.5 GW untapped at 7.2% adoption — an exponential-curve market on the threshold of the broadening phase.
- PSE&G and JCP&L together account for over 85% of state untapped capacity; the north's industrial density is the primary driver of where outbound effort concentrates.
- JCP&L's top segment has crossed 32% adoption — ahead of the state average — putting its mid-range rooftops in the earliest stages of the pull-through.
- Atlantic City Electric and the southern territory are real but structurally shallower: lower industrial density means a slower, more retail-driven adoption curve.
- Municipal utilities collectively represent under 2% of state potential; Vineland is the only one at a scale that warrants standalone outbound targeting.
Methodology
This breakdown comes from Planno’s national scan of commercial and industrial rooftops, fused with ownership, energy, and contact intelligence per building. The data was compiled in Q4 2025. See how the platform works →
Frequently asked questions
How does Planno identify commercial rooftops?
Planno's geospatial AI scans high-resolution satellite imagery across the entire country and identifies every commercial and industrial rooftop above a minimum size threshold. The model is trained on real C&I assets and validated by solar developers.
How current is this data?
The most recent national scan was compiled in Q4 2025. Figures are refreshed as new scans are run.
Where is the next large untapped opportunity in New Jersey?
PSE&G's territory holds the largest pool: 10.5 GW untapped across 48,000 rooftops in New Jersey's most industrially dense corridor. JCP&L adds 4.4 GW, with an adoption curve that is marginally more advanced — largest-segment adoption at 32% — putting its mid-range rooftops next in line. These two territories together account for over 85% of the state's untapped capacity. Atlantic City Electric contributes 2.0 GW in the south, but the building stock is shallower and adoption has progressed more slowly. For operators focused on volume, PSE&G followed by JCP&L is where the pipeline concentrates.
What's driving commercial solar adoption in New Jersey right now?
A decade of policy continuity — RPS mandates, SREC-II, and the Transition Incentive program — combined with commercial electricity rates among the highest in the country. The economic case for behind-the-meter solar is strong across all commercial segments. Interconnection reforms by the Board of Public Utilities have expanded mid-sized building access. Corporate decarbonization commitments from logistics and distribution operators in the north add a non-financial layer to the commercial driver.
