Will New York Gov. Kathy Hochul sign a balcony solar bill?

Apartment and condo dwellers of New York have long been unable to tap solar power at home to lower their energy bills. But that could soon change.

Late last month, state legislators passed the Solar Up Now New York (SUNNY) Act to legalize panels that plug into a standard outlet and start producing electricity. Support for the tech, also known as DIY or balcony solar, is sweeping the country, with seven states having cleared the way for installations and more than two dozen others considering bills that would do the same. New York is the most populous state so far where plug-in solar has won the legislature’s blessing.

The fate of the state’s measure now rests in the hands of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has until the end of the year to sign it into law and is not giving any hints on which way she leans. ​“We will review the legislation,” Hochul spokesperson Ken Lovett told Canary Media.

Still, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, sponsor of the SUNNY Act, believes Hochul will ultimately sign the legislation given balcony solar’s widespread cost-cutting appeal. Even utility Consolidated Edison supported the proposal, breaking from the trend of utility pushback in other states.

“This is the most popular bill I’ve worked on,” Gallagher, a Democrat, said in a statement. ​“Every state that touches New York either has passed similar legislation already or has an active bill. The best way to ensure safe, regulated adoption of this new technology is to sign this bill into law.” Doing so would also give lawmakers who voted for the bill a legislative win before the November midterm elections, advocates point out.

Across the U.S., nearly half of households can’t access rooftop solar systems (even if they can afford them), because they rent, live in apartments, or have shaded or cramped roofs. Those are situations common to many in New York City, where about 75% of homes are in buildings with three or more units, a figure much higher than the national average. These households might be able to subscribe to offsite community solar projects to cut their energy bills, but slots are limited and often fill up fast.

Balcony solar offers a simple way to offset rising utility costs. The New York bill would cap these systems at 1,200 watts — a sixth of the size of the median rooftop-solar installation. That’s enough to power a fridge and a laptop during sunny hours. An 800-watt setup for $1,099 could cut a New York household’s electric bill by nearly $300 per year on average, according to clean energy boosters.