Plug-In Solar Laws by State
Ten states have a plug-in solar law: Utah, Maine, Virginia, Colorado, Maryland, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey and California, though California's law doesn't start until 2027-01-01. New York's SUNNY Act passed both chambers and is waiting on the governor's signature. Massachusetts passed two different bills and sat in conference committee with no compromise as of mid-September 2026. Everywhere else, your utility's ordinary interconnection rules are what apply, so check the table below, then read the actual bill or statute before you buy anything.
Checked on 2026-10-01. Laws change; confirm with your utility before buying.
Law (10)
| State | Bill | Cap | Signed | Effective | What it does | Source | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | HB 340 (2025), Solar Power Amendments | 1200 W | 2025-03 | 2025-05-07 |
| Official text | Estimate → |
| Maine | LD 1730 → P.L. 2026 ch. 644 | 1200 W | 2026-04-06 | 2026-07-15Ninety days after adjournment; one tracker cites 2026-07-29, but the statute is the source of record. |
| Official text | Estimate → |
| Virginia | HB 395 / SB 250 → Va. Code § 56-596.8 | 1200 W | 2026-04-22 | 2027-01-01 |
| Official text | Estimate → |
| Colorado | HB26-1007 | 1920 W | 2026-05-07 | 2026-08-12PUC implementing rules are due by 2026-12-31. |
| Official text | Estimate → |
| Maryland | HB 1532 (Utility RELIEF Act) → ch. 353 | 1200 W | 2026-05-12 | 2026-07-01An emergency bill. The provisions affecting plug-in solar take effect on this date, though parts of the Act took effect on signing. |
| Official text | Estimate → |
| New Hampshire | SB 540-FN → ch. 262 | 1200 W | 2026-07-02 | 2027-01-01 |
| Official text | Estimate → |
| Connecticut | HB 5340 → Public Act 26-127 (§9) | 1200 W | 2026-06-04 | 2026-10-01 |
| Official text | Estimate → |
| Vermont | S.202 → Act 149 | 1200 W | 2026-06-16 | 2026-07-01 |
| Official text | Estimate → |
| New Jersey | S2368 / A4836 → P.L. 2026, c. 82 ("Garden State Balcony Solar Act") | 1200 W | 2026-09-01 | 2027-03-01Six months after enactment. |
| Official text | Estimate → |
| California | SB 868 → ch. 985, Stats. 2026 ("Plug Into the Sun Act") | 1200 W | 2026-09-30 | 2027-01-01Sunsets 2030-01-01. |
| Official text | Estimate → |
Passed the legislature, awaiting signature (1)
| State | Bill | Cap | Signed | Effective | What it does | Source | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | SUNNY Act, S8512-C / A9111-C | 1200 W | — | — |
| Official text | Estimate → |
In conference committee (1)
| State | Bill | Cap | Signed | Effective | What it does | Source | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | H.5175 | 1200 W | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
Introduced (4)
| State | Bill | Cap | Signed | Effective | What it does | Source | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | B26-0602 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Michigan | HB 5764 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Ohio | HB 755 / SB 383 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Pennsylvania | HB 1971 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
Stalled or carried to 2027 (19)
| State | Bill | Cap | Signed | Effective | What it does | Source | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Arizona | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Delaware | SB 270 | 800 W | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Georgia | HB 1304 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Hawaii | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Idaho | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Illinois | SB 3104 | 391 W | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Indiana | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Iowa | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Minnesota | SF 4774 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Missouri | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| New Mexico | SB 157 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| North Carolina | HB 1129 / SB 957 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Oklahoma | HB 4060 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Oregon | HB 4080 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| South Carolina | H 4579 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Washington | HB 2296 | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Wyoming | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
No bill introduced (16)
| State | Bill | Cap | Signed | Effective | What it does | Source | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Arkansas | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Florida | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Kansas | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Kentucky | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Louisiana | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Mississippi | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Montana | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Nebraska | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Nevada | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| North Dakota | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| South Dakota | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Tennessee | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Texas | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| West Virginia | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — | — |
| — | Estimate → |
If your state has no law
No plug-in-solar law doesn't mean no rules, it means the state's ordinary interconnection and net-metering rules apply to an 800 W kit exactly as they would to a rooftop system: an interconnection agreement, a utility application, possibly a fee, and a wait for approval before you turn it on.
Before buying, ask your utility three questions: does it require an interconnection agreement for inverter-based generation under your system's wattage, is there a fee or inspection for a unit that plugs into a standard outlet rather than being hard-wired, and does it have any stated position on plug-in or "balcony" solar specifically. A handful of utilities have published informal guidance even where the state hasn't legislated; most have not, and the honest answer is to ask before you plug anything in.
Frequently asked questions
Is plug-in solar legal in my state?
It depends entirely on the state. Ten states have a signed law as of October 2026: Utah, Maine, Virginia, Colorado, Maryland, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey and California, though California's doesn't start until 2027-01-01. New York's SUNNY Act passed both chambers and is waiting on the governor's signature, due by year-end. Massachusetts passed two different bills in its House and Senate and is stuck in conference committee. Everywhere else, no plug-in-specific law exists yet, which does not make the device illegal, it means the state's ordinary interconnection and net-metering rules apply to it the same way they would to a rooftop system, so your utility's normal process is the one to ask about.
Can I buy a plug-in solar kit in the US today?
Yes, kits are for sale, but certification is still catching up to the law. UL 3700, the standard written for plug-in PV systems, launched its certification program in January 2026, and the first certified component, a Hoymiles microinverter, was announced in July 2026; no complete system had been certified as of August 2026. Every state law in this guide requires NEC compliance and NRTL listing, so check the specific component's certification before you buy, not the brand name alone. A kit that predates UL 3700 may still work electrically, but it won't satisfy the legal requirement in a state that has one.
What's the biggest system I can plug in without extra paperwork?
Most of the ten states that have passed a law cap plug-in solar at 1,200 W of inverter output, with no interconnection agreement, utility approval, or fee required below that line. Colorado allows 1,920 W. A few states carve out an even smaller tier that skips the certification step entirely: Maryland and New Jersey exempt systems of 400 W or less, and Maine lets you self-install up to 420 W with no utility notification at all, rising to a licensed-electrician requirement between 420 W and the 1,200 W cap. Above any of these numbers, you are into ordinary interconnection territory, the same rules a rooftop system follows.
Does any state pay me for the power my balcony panel sends back to the grid?
No. Every plug-in solar law in this guide either explicitly excludes the device from net metering or simply never mentions it, and none of the ten creates a new payment mechanism. The economics assume you use what you produce as you produce it; power you don't use when the sun is out is, in practice, given away. That's also why most of the payback math is timing the rest of your home's usage rather than owning the panel. See the does-it-pay page for the actual numbers and sources.
Cross-checked against
Every row above cites a primary source, the signed statute or the legislature's own bill-status page, wherever one exists. We also compared the full list against four independent trackers:
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Outsmart your electric bill - Hungry Machines Energy provides an energy management system that shifts HVAC, EV charging, home batteries, and other electric loads to cheaper hours for homes and buildings with solar power or variable electricity rates.