What SB 868 does
SB 868, the Plug-In Solar Act, creates a category California law does not currently have: a portable solar generation device. Up to 1,200 watts of aggregate AC output per home, plugged into an ordinary 120-volt outlet, with no interconnection application and no utility approval to wait for. The hardware has to be certified by UL or an equivalent lab, including its anti-backfeeding protection.
Devices like this are ordinary elsewhere. Germany has more than a million of them. In California today they are against the rules, which is what the bill would change. The plug-in solar page covers what the hardware is and what 1,200 watts realistically does, and the full write-up of the bill goes through the text.
How it got here
- May 19, 2026Passed the full Senate, 35 to 1.
- Aug 25, 2026Passed both houses and went to the Governor. Nearly every vote along the way was unanimous.
- NowWith the Governor. Awaiting a signature, a veto, or the deadline.
- Sept 30, 2026The constitutional deadline for him to act.
- Jan 1, 2027The earliest the law could take effect.
Why September 30, and not 30 days from the vote
The date comes from the state constitution rather than a rolling clock. Article IV, Section 10 says a bill passed before September 1 and in the Governor's possession on or after September 1 becomes a statute if it is not returned on or before September 30. SB 868 passed on August 25, so September 30 is the outside date regardless of when it was formally presented.
The three ways this ends
He signs it
It becomes law and takes effect January 1, 2027. Plug-in solar is legal in California from that date, not before.
He does nothing by September 30
It becomes law without a signature, on the same January 1, 2027 timeline. The outcome is identical to a signature; only the politics differ.
He vetoes it
The bill dies this session. An override needs two thirds of both houses and is rare in California. The realistic path after a veto is a similar bill in a later session, which restarts the whole process.
What this means if you are waiting on one
Nothing is buyable yet, and be skeptical of anyone selling you a California plug-in system today. Passing the Legislature is not the same as being legal, and January 1 is not the same as tomorrow. A unanimous run through committee is a good sign and it is not a signature. A veto is still a veto.
If you rent, one caveat that most coverage skips: the bill takes your utility out of the decision, but it does not touch your lease or an HOA's rules on exterior modifications. The plain reading is that it gives no right to install over a landlord's objection.
We will send one email the day the Governor acts. Signed, vetoed or lapsed into law, with what it changes and when. No payment, and there is nothing to buy yet.
Get told when it's decidedGeneral information about pending legislation, not legal advice. Status is taken from the Legislature's own record of the bill. If you are reading this after September 30, 2026 and the page still says the bill is pending, treat the date above as the authoritative thing and check the official record.