HB 1304: Public utilities; portable solar generation devices; provide

Georgia law currently regulates home solar setups as 'distributed generation facilities,' which come with rules like needing a written agreement with the utility, possible interconnection fees, and special metering equipment. This bill carves out a new category for small, plug-in solar devices called 'portable solar generation devices,' defined as movable panels producing no more than 1,200 watts that plug into a standard 120-volt outlet, meet national electrical safety codes, and carry safety certification from a lab like Underwriters Laboratories. For these small devices, the bill bars electric service providers (utilities, electric membership corporations, and municipal electric utilities) from requiring prior approval, a written agreement, interconnection fees, a bidirectional meter, or extra metering charges. Utilities would not have to pay customers for any extra power the device generates beyond what the customer uses, and they would not be liable for damage or injury the device causes. The devices must also include a safety feature that stops them from feeding power into the grid during an outage. Selling electricity generated by these devices remains prohibited.

• Creates a new legal category called 'portable solar generation device' for plug-in solar panels of 1,200 watts or less that meet electrical code and safety certification standards.
• Exempts these small devices from the interconnection agreement, approval, and bidirectional metering requirements that apply to larger home solar systems.
• Prohibits electric service providers from charging interconnection fees or extra metering fees tied to use of a portable solar device.
• Relieves electric service providers of any obligation to pay customers for excess electricity these small devices generate.
• Shields electric service providers from liability for damage or injury caused by a customer's portable solar generation device.
• Requires the devices to include a feature that automatically stops them from sending power into the grid during a power outage.

Homeowners and renters who want to use small plug-in solar panels, electric utilities, electric membership corporations, municipal electric utilities, and the Georgia Public Service Commission, which oversees rules for electricity generation and interconnection in the state.

People who want a small solar setup, such as a portable panel for a balcony or window, would be able to plug it in without utility paperwork, approval, or fees that currently apply to larger home solar systems, though they could not sell any extra power back or hold the utility responsible for problems the device causes.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 46-3-52 to add a definition of 'portable solar generation device': a movable photovoltaic device of 1,200 watts or less that plugs into a standard 120-volt outlet, meets National Electrical Code standards, and is safety certified.
• Section 1 also raises the minimum size threshold for the existing 'distributed generation facility' category to 'more than 1,200 watts,' separating small plug-in devices from that larger regulatory category.
• Section 2 creates new O.C.G.A. § 46-3-57, barring utilities from requiring a written agreement, prior approval, interconnection fees, a bidirectional meter, or extra metering fees for portable solar devices.
• Section 2 states utilities are not required to pay or credit customers for excess electricity these devices generate beyond the customer's own use.
• Section 2 requires portable solar devices to include an automatic shutoff feature preventing them from energizing the building's system during a power outage.
• Section 2 exempts electric service providers from liability for damage or injury caused by a portable solar generation device.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-18House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-17House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-12House Hopper (House)

• Imani Barnes (D, HD-086)Primary sponsor
• Eric Gisler (D, HD-121)
• Karla Drenner (D, HD-085)
• Samuel Park (D, HD-107)
• Jordan Ridley (R, HD-022)
• Beth Camp (R, HD-135)

• solar energy
• public utilities
• electricity regulation
• home energy devices
• Georgia Public Service Commission