Several bills in California have reached new stages in the Legislature, in a move that could once again broaden the scope of solar energy use in the state through models that go beyond traditional residential panels and large-scale generating facilities. The proposals include plug-in solar systems, community solar, and home batteries connected to the grid as part of what are known as virtual power plants.
For years, California was one of the leading U.S. states in enacting solar-energy legislation and expanding the sector, but that momentum declined after a change to the net-metering policy, which determines how electricity that solar-system owners send back to the grid is credited. The article argues that passing the bills could steer state policy back toward supporting solar deployment, potentially helping curb rising electricity costs that have increased in the state for several reasons.
Three Paths to Expand Solar Energy
The legislative effort addresses three main paths, according to a summary cited by PV Magazine:
- Plug-in or balcony solar: Senate Bill SB 868, introduced by Senator Scott Wiener, provides for regulating plug-in solar systems with capacities of up to 1,200 watts. The bill has passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is headed to the Assembly floor for a vote. The proposal would allow residents to connect small systems to ordinary household electrical outlets without traditional interconnection applications with the utility or local permits.
- Community solar: Assembly Bill AB 1813, introduced by Assemblymember Christopher Ward, is advancing after passing the Senate Appropriations Committee and is headed to the floor. The bill proposes reorganizing the struggling community-solar market by directing regulators to evaluate community solar and storage using the avoided-cost calculator of the California Public Utilities Commission.
- Virtual power plants: The source reports progress on two bills related to virtual power plants, introduced by Senator Josh Becker, after they passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The source specifies details of SB 913, which requires the California Public Utilities Commission to establish a framework for valuing behind-the-meter battery-storage systems when they export electricity to the grid during periods of grid stress.
What Changes in Practice?
If these proposals become law, solar deployment in California would become more diverse than relying solely on residential panels or large generating facilities. Balcony systems would provide a smaller-scale option for residents, while community solar would combine household projects with utility facilities, and virtual power plants would use batteries distributed across customer sites as a resource that can be tapped when the grid is under heavy strain.
SB 913 is connected to a proposal pending before CAISO that would allow batteries located at customer sites to qualify for resource-adequacy requirements based on their full potential export capacity, rather than limiting their value to reducing on-site consumption. The source does not provide deadlines for approving the bills or additional details about when they would take effect.