New Law Protects Illinois Homeowners’ Access to Solar

Gov. JB Pritzker has signed legislation protecting Illinoisians’ right to clean energy and access to solar power. A revision to the Homeowners’ Energy Policy Statement Act, HB 644, will guarantee homeowners’ rights to place solar on their home without major redesign requirements, while improving the timeline for approval by a homeowners’ association (HOA).

This bill will enable greater deployment of customer-sited generation, like rooftop solar, by recognizing the right all Illinoisans have to generate and store their own clean electricity. Rooftop solar empowers people with the ability to generate their own power on their own property and store it in a battery for resilience, even in the event of grid outages.

Regulations have hindered the increased interest in solar power, but this new law ensures every resident can fairly and equitably benefit from Illinois’ clean energy future.

“The benefits of this legislation go far beyond any single rooftop,” states Colleen Smith, deputy director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “We can make meaningful progress on carbon reduction and reaching our climate goals by getting everyone involved, and breaking down barriers to solar will lead to cleaner air, healthier residents and more vibrant local economies.”