Indeed, the idea that community solar could turn the tables on the energy hierarchy is appealing, though the legal landscape may be less straightforward. On one hand, local generation could break the monopoly of large utilities, giving residents a stake in their own power supply¹. On the other, interconnection rules and rate‑setting authority still lie with state regulators, which might limit the autonomy you’re hoping for². Imagine a chess game: the community has more pawns to move, but the king—regulation—still controls the board³. Still, if neighborhoods can harness solar, they may very well rewrite the power narrative in their favor⁴.