Solar power for renters would get easier with two bills now on the governor's desk

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Set us as preferred The California Legislature just passed two bills that advocates say will greatly improve access to small-scale solar for renters, people in condos and others who don’t have access to their roofs or can’t afford a full rooftop array.On Sunday night, lawmakers approved Assembly Bill 1813, a third-time effort to force the California Public Utilities Commission to develop a more robust community solar program, in which residents sign up to participate in a small solar array built nearby and pay monthly at a discount on their electrical bills.Last week, with Senate Bill 868, California’s Legislature also became the latest to legalize plug-in solar.

Also known as “balcony solar,” these systems allow anyone — renter or owner — to set small panels on their patios or fences and plug them directly into wall outlets to lower bills without having to navigate utility permissions.“It’s an idea whose time has come,” said bill author Sen.Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who noted the devices can bring down bills by hundreds of dollars a year.

“It’ll be very beneficial for people who are looking to lower their cost of living.” Climate & Environment Plug-in solar panels that can power refrigerators and other household appliances are getting more common.One California lawmaker is trying to make them legal in the state.The votes come after some difficult years for rooftop solar in California thanks to strong pushback from utility companies.

The state had been a leader nationally on solar energy in the 2000s.But installation rates plummeted in 2022 after Gov.

Gavin Newsom’s Public Utilities Commission sharply cut back incentives for customers.Utilities that lobbied for the change argued that compensating rooftop solar at a higher rate meant that people without solar panels were disproportiona...