Gov. Sherrill signs bill aimed at expanding balcony solar

New Jersey residents must be permitted to run small plug-in solar panels that could offset their energy costs under a bill Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed Tuesday.

Under new law set to go into effect six months from now, landlords and local governments would be barred from blocking residents and tenants from setting up solar panels with a maximum power output of 1,200 watts, a move intended to allow individual ratepayers with limited access to rooftop or community solar to cut their utility bills.

“Balcony solar is the ultimate win-win. It’s accessible, affordable, safe, and sustainable. These units cost a fraction as much as rooftop solar, but they can still shave up to $50 off the typical monthly bill,” Sherrill (D) said at a bill signing ceremony in Trenton on Tuesday moments after plugging in a solar panel.

The legislation, which won unanimous approval in the Senate and Assembly in late June, is the administration’s latest attempt to cut residential ratepayers’ power costs as electricity prices spike amid surging demand driven by AI data centers’ mammoth energy needs.

Under its language, landlords, homeowner associations, housing cooperatives, and similar entities cannot block a tenant or homeowner from using a portable solar generator, though they must still be notified and are permitted to require a resident to release legal claims for injuries or property damage caused by a plug-in solar unit.

“By embracing innovative solutions like balcony solar, we can help households save on their utility bills and ensure the benefits of clean energy are accessible to all,” said bill sponsor Sen. John McKeon (D-Essex).

Landlords will also be permitted to place restrictions on the placement and size of portable solar units, and residents must provide 14 days’ notice before installing one.

The law overrides municipal ordinances that block the use of portable solar units on residential properties and bars local governments from requiring licensing or approvals to install balcony solar. They are also barred from seeking fees for such installations.

The new law’s supporters hailed it as a needed salve to New Jerseyans facing high power costs, one that is more accessible than rooftop installations or community solar projects that already reduce some ratepayers’ bills.

“Close to 70% of the public can’t go solar, either because there’s too many trees, the roof doesn’t face the right way, or … they’re a renter, and that’s really why plug-in solar has taken off,” Environment New Jersey state director Doug O’Malley said, citing its popularity in Germany.

More than 1 million had installed balcony solar units in Germany by June 2025.