SB 868 clears the Legislature and heads to Governor Newsom's desk
California's plug-in solar bill, the Plug and Play Solar Act, has passed both the Assembly and the Senate. Governor Newsom now has until the end of September to sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature.
Updated August 26, 2026.
What SB 868 still does
Authored by Sen. Scott Wiener and sponsored by Environmental Working Group and the Abundance Network, SB 868 lets homeowners and renters buy a certified plug-in solar device and connect it directly to a standard outlet, without first securing a utility interconnection agreement.
Qualifying devices are capped at 1,200 watts, enough to offset everyday load like a refrigerator, lighting, a router, or a small AC unit during sunny hours. Utilities can still require a simple online registration, but they cannot charge a device-related fee.
Safety requirements are unchanged from earlier drafts: devices must be certified by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing lab, and must automatically disconnect within seconds if the grid goes down, protecting utility line workers during outages.
The Assembly added a sunset clause sought by utilities, including Sempra and San Diego Gas and Electric Company: the interconnection exemption for qualifying devices would expire on January 1, 2030.
That gives the plug-in solar market roughly four years to establish itself in California before lawmakers would need to act again to extend or make the exemption permanent.
Where SB 868 stands
| Bill | SB 868: Electricity: portable solar generation devices |
|---|---|
| Passed Legislature | Senate concurrence with Assembly amendments, August 25, 2026 |
| Current status | Sent to Governor Newsom for signature |
| Governor's deadline | September 30, 2026 to sign, veto, or allow it to become law without a signature |
| New in this version | Interconnection exemption sunsets January 1, 2030 unless extended |
We will update this page once the governor acts. See our earlier coverage of SB 868 and SDGE's opposition for background on the bill and Utah's existing portable solar law.
See if daytime self-consumption would help your bill
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