In a win for energy affordability, the Maine Senate advanced LD 1730: An Act to Make Small Plug-in Solar Generation Devices Accessible for All Maine Residents to Address the Energy Affordability Crisis, with a bipartisan vote of 25-8 with 2 absences. This bill is now headed to the House for a vote, which could happen as soon as this week, according to a March 17 news release from the Maine Conservation Voters.

LD 1730 updates Maine’s rules to allow residents to use small plug-in solar devices without the burdensome interconnection requirements designed for large rooftop arrays. This reform will make clean energy ownership accessible to renters, low‑income households, and families whose homes aren’t suitable for traditional solar, helping defray electricity costs at a time of skyrocketing utility prices. 

These units are also portable, meaning people can take them to a new residence, keeping their investment and continuing to save money. This reform would come at no cost to the state or other electricity customers.