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California gives the green light to balcony solar
Electrek • • business
Key Points:
- California Governor Gavin Newsom signed three bills on September 30 to expand solar energy access and improve home energy device integration with the grid.
- SB 868, the Plug and Play Solar Act, allows small plug-in balcony solar systems up to 1,200 watts AC to connect to household outlets without requiring utility interconnection agreements or fees until January 1, 2030.
- SB 913, the Clean Local Power Act, directs regulators to enable virtual power plants—coordinated home batteries, EVs, and smart devices—to contribute to grid reliability and compete with traditional power plants by June 30, 2028.
- SB 905 mandates investor-owned utilities to publish local grid usage data and evaluate cost-effective alternatives like batteries and load shifting to reduce infrastructure upgrades and utility bills.
- These laws aim to provide relief from high utility costs while supporting climate action and grid modernization, creating a foundation for future energy policies in California.
