SB 868 would clear a path for portable solar. San Diego Gas and Electric Company opposed it.
California SB 868 is aimed at small plug-in, balcony-style solar devices. The bill would make those devices easier to use by removing traditional interconnection requirements, blocking device-related utility fees, and allowing only a simple online registration process if a utility needs notice.
Updated June 9, 2026.
SB 868 would exempt defined portable solar generation devices from interconnection requirements imposed by state law, the CPUC, electrical corporation rules, or local publicly owned utility rules.
The bill would bar electric utilities from requiring a customer to pay a fee or charge related to the device or electricity the device feeds into the building electrical system.
Utilities could require customers to register the device address and size through a simple online form.
Why this matters for SDGE customers
Portable solar is not a replacement for a full rooftop system. It is closer to a small consumer energy device: a panel-and-inverter setup intended to offset some household load during sunny hours.
That distinction matters in San Diego because high time-of-use energy prices make even modest self-consumption useful. A small device that reduces daytime imports could help renters, condo owners, and homeowners who cannot justify or cannot install a larger rooftop system.
The policy question is whether a small, certified plug-in solar device should be treated like a simplified consumer energy-saving product or like a full utility interconnection project.
CalMatters Digital Democracy groups Sempra and its affiliates with San Diego Gas and Electric Company and lists the organization's last recorded position on SB 868 as Against.
That opposition is notable because the bill would limit the ability of utilities to require approval, fees, or extra controls for qualifying portable solar devices.
Utah already made a similar model legal
Utah is the useful comparison. Its 2025 portable solar law created a defined category for small portable solar generation devices, capped at 1,200 watts, designed for a standard 120-volt outlet, and subject to NEC and UL-style safety requirements.
Under Utah Code 54-15-601, qualifying devices are exempt from interconnection requirements and interconnection agreements, are outside the net metering program, and utilities cannot require approval or device-related fees. That makes Utah a real-world proof point for the basic structure SB 868 is trying to bring to California.
Where SB 868 stands
| Bill | SB 868: Electricity: portable solar generation devices |
|---|---|
| Latest version | Amended Senate, April 7, 2026 |
| Current status | In progress; referred May 26, 2026 to Assembly Utilities and Energy |
| Utility position noted | CalMatters lists San Diego Gas and Electric Company / Sempra as Against |
| Practical effect | Creates a simpler path for compliant portable solar devices while preserving a registration option |
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