California’s Plug-In Solar Bill Passed the Senate 35-1. Here’s What It Means for Renters.

California has the second-highest electricity rates in the country, after Hawaii. PG&E customers have watched their bills climb nearly 40% between 2022 and 2025. About 40% of Californians rent — roughly 17 million people — and most of them can’t put solar panels on a roof they don’t own. SB 868, the Plug and Play Solar Act, would change that.

The bill passed the California Senate on May 19 with a 35-1 vote. In a chamber that rarely agrees on anything by that margin, that near-unanimity is worth noting. It’s now in the Assembly.

What SB 868 actually does

Senator Scott Wiener’s bill does three things. First, it creates a legal definition for “portable solar generation devices” — systems that plug into a standard 120-volt outlet and produce up to 1,200 watts of AC power. Second, it exempts those devices from the utility interconnection process that currently makes plug-in solar a bureaucratic headache in California. Third, it sets a safety floor: any device sold under this exemption must be UL-certified or equivalent.

In plain English: right now, PG&E claims you need to file the same interconnection paperwork for a $400 plug-in panel that a utility-scale solar farm would need. SB 868 eliminates that requirement for small residential systems. You plug it in, it generates power, your bill goes down. No permits. No approval. No installer.

The numbers

California’s high electricity rates are actually what make plug-in solar most compelling here. At $0.25/kWh — roughly the current PG&E average — a single 400W panel generating 54 kWh per month saves you about $13.50/month, or $162/year. Two panels doubles that.

Senator Wiener’s office cites savings of up to $450 per year for a multi-panel setup, which is realistic for a well-placed 2–3 panel system in sunny Southern California. Entry-level 200W systems start around $400; a more capable 800W system without a battery runs around $2,000.

At California’s current rates, a well-sited 800W setup pays for itself in roughly 4–5 years. The panels are rated for 25+ years. Use Solarly’s free savings calculator to run your exact numbers by state, bill size, and panel count.

Why this bill exists: the utility red tape problem

Plug-in solar is legal in Germany, where over 1.5 million households now have balcony solar systems — you can order a kit through IKEA. But in California — the state with more rooftop solar than anywhere else in the country — utilities have used interconnection requirements to create friction around these small systems.

PG&E has publicly stated that customers must apply for an interconnection agreement to use plug-in solar, subjecting a $500 plug-in appliance to the same regulatory process as a power plant. SB 868 explicitly prohibits utilities from imposing those requirements on devices under 1,200W — and it does so with the same language that covers every other plug-in appliance in your home.

Where it stands: the Assembly is next

After the 35-1 Senate vote, SB 868 moved to the California Assembly. The Assembly Appropriations Committee is scheduled to take it up in August. If it clears that committee and passes the full Assembly floor vote, it goes to Governor Newsom — who hasn’t commented on the bill specifically but has broadly supported solar expansion throughout his tenure.

The bill is sponsored by the Environmental Working Group and the Abundance Network. There’s no organized opposition on the record. The near-unanimous Senate vote suggests this has the kind of cross-aisle appeal that moves through a legislature cleanly.

Barring surprises, we expect a final vote sometime in September or October 2026.

What California renters can do right now

SB 868 hasn’t passed yet — but plug-in solar isn’t outright illegal in California today either. The complication is PG&E’s interconnection claim, which creates legal ambiguity for renters who want to move now. The bill’s 35-1 Senate passage signals clearly where this is heading.

Here’s the practical picture for California renters right now:

• Your lease matters more than utility rules. Check whether your rental agreement restricts exterior equipment or modifications. Many leases don’t — especially for balcony-mounted panels that don’t attach to the building structure.
• Sun exposure is the key variable. Southern California has among the best solar conditions in the country — more annual sun hours than most of Europe where plug-in solar has already exploded. Northern California is solid too. Use the calculator with your region and bill to see your real numbers.
• Look for UL 1741 certification when shopping — that’s the current US safety standard for grid-connected inverters. Our recommended kits are both UL 1741-certified and ship to California.
• Watch August. That’s when the Assembly Appropriations Committee takes up the bill. A clear passage there puts it on track for a Newsom signature before year-end.

We’ll update this post as SB 868 moves through the Assembly. For full California context — electricity rates, peak sun hours, net metering rules — see our state-by-state law guide.