The short version: Pennsylvania does not have a plug-in solar law. HB 1971 has sat in the House committee since October 28, 2025. Until it passes, anything that feeds solar into your house wiring needs your utility’s approval, the same as a rooftop system.
We are not lawyers. This summarizes the bill record, news coverage and PPL’s own solar page as read on November 9, 2026.
What HB 1971 would do
Rep. Chris Pielli introduced HB 1971 on October 28, 2025, and it was referred to the House committee the same day. BillTrack50’s summary describes it as defining “portable solar generation systems” with battery storage limited to 1,200 W, and letting them connect without a utility interconnection agreement. In practice, that matches the laws in the ten states that have passed one.
Where it stands
The Philadelphia Citizen reported on October 14, 2026 that the bill is still in committee, that the legislative session ends in December, and that Rep. Pielli plans to reintroduce it until it gets a vote. A bill that does not pass this session has to start over in the next one.
Next door, New Jersey signed its law on September 1, 2026, and it takes effect March 1, 2027.
If you are a PPL or PECO customer today
PPL’s solar page is plain about it: before you install a solar system or any other distributed energy system, you must obtain approval from PPL. A plug-in kit that feeds an outlet is a distributed energy system. Until HB 1971 or a similar bill becomes law, plan on the utility’s process, or on one of the options below.
What you can do now, legally
- A power station with its own panels. Panels charge the power station, and the fridge or other appliances plug into the power station, not the wall. Nothing feeds your house wiring, so no interconnection rules apply. It also keeps running in a blackout. See what runs your fridge at night.
- Plan and price a plug-in kit with the savings calculator, so you are ready if the law passes.
- Tell your state representative what you think of HB 1971. The bill record lists its sponsor and committee.
What to watch
- Whether HB 1971 gets a committee vote before the session ends in December.
- If it dies, the number of the bill that replaces it next session. We will update this page and the laws by state table.
Questions
Can I plug in a balcony solar kit in Pennsylvania today?
Not without your utility's approval. Pennsylvania has no plug-in solar law yet, and PPL says you must get its approval before installing any solar or other distributed energy system.
What would HB 1971 allow?
BillTrack50's summary describes portable solar generation systems with battery storage limited to 1,200 W, which would not need a utility interconnection agreement.
Is there anything I can do now?
Yes. Solar panels that charge a portable power station, with appliances plugged into the power station, never connect to your house wiring, so interconnection rules do not apply to that setup.
Sources
- PA HB1971: portable solar generation systems, BillTrack50, read 2026-11-09.
- Ideas We Should Steal: Plug-In Solar (The Philadelphia Citizen), The Philadelphia Citizen (reposted by now.solar), read 2026-11-09.
- Is plug-in solar legal? State-by-state legislation table, Bright Saver, read 2026-11-09.
- PPL Electric Utilities: renewable energy and solar, PPL Electric Utilities, read 2026-11-09.
- New Jersey legalizes plug-in solar up to 1,200 W, pv magazine, read 2026-11-09.
Update history
- 2026-11-09: First published.
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