Off the news: Dimmer times for solar as tax credits end

It’s encouraging that Hawaii’s solar-energy adoption rose this year, giving this state the highest per capita rate of rooftop solar installations in the nation, at 45%. Nearly half of all Oahu single-family homes have rooftop photovoltaic systems, says Hawaiian Electric.

But dark clouds are rolling in, as federal tax credits for solar expire at year’s end, a deadline accelerated under the Trump administration. The disappeared tax incentives will mean a setback for Hawaii’s clean-energy goals.