California SB 868 — Electricity: portable solar generation devices.

California, 20252026. SB 868: Electricity: portable solar generation devices.

Plural source record ↗

Official legislative source ↗

Latest action

September 30, 2026 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026.

Summary

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. This bill would, until January 1, 2030, exempt a portable solar generation device, as defined, from all interconnection requirements imposed by state law, the commission, electrical corporation rules, or local publicly owned electric utility rules, as specified. The bill would, until January 1, 2030, prohibit an electrical corporation or a local publicly owned electric utility from requiring a customer using a portable solar generation device to take specified actions, including, among other things, paying any fee or charge related to the device or the electricity the device feeds into a building's electrical system. The bill would, until January 1, 2030, authorize an electrical corporation or a local publicly owned electric utility to require a customer using a portable solar generation device to notify the electrical corporation or local publicly owned electric utility, using a simple online registration form, of the address, make, model, and size of the portable solar generation device, as provided. Beginning January 1, 2030, the bill would prohibit the sale of a portable photovoltaic energy generation device that is designed to be connected to and disconnected from a building's electrical system through a receptacle and does not meet the definition of a portable solar generation device, as specified. Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because a violation of a commission action implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Additionally, by imposing new duties on local publicly owned electric utilities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.

Sponsors

• Wiener — primary sponsor
• Schultz
• Arreguín
• Becker
• McNerney
• Boerner
• Connolly
• Davies
• Irwin
• Kalra
• Petrie-Norris
• Schiavo
• Ward

Bill text

SB868 Read version ↗

01/05/26 - Introduced Read version ↗

03/05/26 - Amended Senate Read version ↗

03/23/26 - Amended Senate Read version ↗

04/07/26 - Amended Senate Read version ↗

06/15/26 - Amended Assembly Read version ↗

08/17/26 - Amended Assembly Read version ↗

08/20/26 - Amended Assembly Read version ↗

08/28/26 - Enrolled Read version ↗

09/30/26 - Chaptered Read version ↗

Recorded votes

Legislative history

1. September 30, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 30, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. August 31, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 6 p.m.
4. August 26, 2026Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 36. Noes 4.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. August 25, 2026In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
6. August 25, 2026Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 6499.) Ordered to the Senate.
7. August 20, 2026Ordered to third reading.
8. August 20, 2026Read third time and amended.
9. August 18, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
10. August 17, 2026Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
11. August 17, 2026From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 13).
12. August 17, 2026Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
13. August 5, 2026August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
14. June 29, 2026July 1 hearing postponed by committee.
15. June 15, 2026Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
16. June 11, 2026From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (June 10).
17. May 26, 2026Referred to Com. on U. & E.
18. May 20, 2026In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
19. May 19, 2026Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 35. Noes 1. Page 4340.) Ordered to the Assembly.
20. May 14, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
21. May 14, 2026From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4255.) (May 14).
22. May 8, 2026Set for hearing May 14.
23. April 20, 2026April 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
24. April 10, 2026Set for hearing April 20.
25. April 9, 2026April 13 hearing postponed by committee.
26. April 7, 2026From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
27. March 27, 2026Set for hearing April 13.
28. March 24, 2026Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
29. March 24, 2026Withdrawn from committee.
30. March 23, 2026Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
31. March 19, 2026From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 14. Noes 0. Page 3588.) (March 17).
32. March 9, 2026Set for hearing March 17.
33. March 5, 2026From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E., U & C.
34. February 11, 2026Referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and JUD.
35. January 6, 2026From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 5.
36. January 5, 2026Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

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