New Jersey becomes the tenth state to pass a bill enabling citizens to legally use so-called “balcony solar panels.” The bill is set to take effect six months after it becomes law.
In two unanimous votes on June 30, the New Jersey state legislature unanimously passed the Garden State Balcony Solar Act (S2368/A4836), a bill that allows New Jerseyites to install and use portable solar generation devices of up to 1,200 watts without the need to apply for an installation permit or obtain their utility’s approval.
With the passage of the bill, New Jersey becomes the tenth state in the nation to enact a plug-in solar law, following in the footsteps of Utah, which passed the nation’s first such law in 2025, and eight other states (seven of them on the east coast), which took action earlier this year.
News of the bill’s passage was met with celebration from supporters. A statement from Environment New Jersey state director Doug O’Malley read “New Jersey has been a national leader on solar for more than 20 years – this is a big victory for solar. As solar has spread across the state, there are still hundreds of thousands of residents who don’t have a way to go solar. Plug-in solar is a simple concept – solar small enough to plug in but big enough to provide real environmental and bill benefits.”
