Dawn Furnas//September 2, 2026//
Gov. Mikie Sherrill holds a news conference Sept. 1, 2026, at Stacy Park in Trenton before signing the Garden State Balcony Solar Act into law. The bill allows residents to purchase and connect plug-in solar panels within a certain size to offset their energy usage and lower their bills. – PROVIDED BY NJ GOVERNOR’S OFFICE/TIM LARSEN
NJ Balcony Solar Act allows plug-in solar panels
Gov. Mikie Sherrill holds a news conference Sept. 1, 2026, at Stacy Park in Trenton before signing the Garden State Balcony Solar Act into law. The bill allows residents to purchase and connect plug-in solar panels within a certain size to offset their energy usage and lower their bills. – PROVIDED BY NJ GOVERNOR’S OFFICE/TIM LARSEN
Dawn Furnas//September 2, 2026//
Gov. Mikie Sherrill has signed legislation making it easier for New Jerseyans to generate their own clean energy and help lower electricity bills.
Enacted Sept. 1, the Garden State Balcony Solar Act removes “unnecessary red tape” and allows residents to purchase and use portable, plug-in solar panels, according to the governor’s office.
“From day one, I’ve been laser-focused on driving down energy costs through an all-of-the-above approach, and that includes putting clean, affordable solar power that you can simply plug in directly into the hands of New Jerseyans,” Sherrill said in a statement.
“Balcony solar is a practical, easy-to-use tool that can help families save money while allowing more people to participate in our clean energy future,” she said.
The governor added that the measure – Senate Bill 2368/Assembly Bill 4836 – “proves that affordability and sustainability can go hand in hand.”
How do they work?
Balcony solar devices plug into a standard 120-volt outlet and provide electricity directly to a home’s existing electrical system, the governor’s office explained.
The devices and any necessary microinverters or adapters can be purchased online and in home improvement stores.
The law exempts qualifying plug-in solar devices of up to 1,200 watts — about what it takes to power a kitchen microwave — from utility interconnection and metering requirements, including certain fees, approvals and equipment mandates.
A CNN report noted the bill was “a huge deal” for renters because it prevents entities such as landlords from banning the units. Homeowner associations and municipalities are also barred from prohibiting their use or requiring permits.
I signed legislation bringing balcony solar to the Garden State.
These units cost a fraction as much as rooftop solar, but they can still shave as much as $50 off the typical monthly utility bill.
All you need is an outlet and a place to hang your solar panel! pic.twitter.com/s6nTjTIpmD
— Governor Mikie Sherrill (@GovSherrillNJ) September 1, 2026
I signed legislation bringing balcony solar to the Garden State.
These units cost a fraction as much as rooftop solar, but they can still shave as much as $50 off the typical monthly utility bill.
All you need is an outlet and a place to hang your solar panel! pic.twitter.com/s6nTjTIpmD
— Governor Mikie Sherrill (@GovSherrillNJ) September 1, 2026
In agreement
In April, an FDU Poll found bipartisan support among voters for allowing plug-in balcony solar panels. Nearly 78% of respondents favored the proposal, with just 19% opposed.
“The ‘Garden State Balcony Solar Act’ demonstrates that lowering utility costs for our residents and moving toward a greener future can go hand in hand,” said Sen. John McKeon, D-27th District, one of the bill’s primary sponsors.
Another primary sponsor of the bill, Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, D-18th District, added that the move allows New Jerseyans to “access affordable solar energy without having to install rooftop solar systems.”
‘A simple concept’
A hot topic in the Garden State, Sherrill has made lowering energy costs a priority of her administration. During her inauguration, she signed executive orders to freeze rate hikes and speed new energy production.
Joining the governor at the bill signing at Stacy Park in Trenton were McKeon; Karabinchak; Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey; and Jennifer Willemsen, policy advisor for the governor’s office.
O’Malley called the action “a big victory for clean energy.”
“Plug-in solar is a simple concept – solar small enough to plug in but big enough to provide real environmental and bill benefits for residents who couldn’t go solar otherwise,” O’Malley added.
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