The New Jersey State Senate unanimously passed smart solar permitting legislation (S4100) on June 30 by a 39-0 vote. The bill will expedite the approval process for residential solar and battery systems, delivering more solar installations and energy bill savings for families across the state.
This legislation would require the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to make an online, automated permitting platform for rooftop solar and battery installs available statewide within a year of the bill’s signing. Households with code-compliant projects will be able to avoid costly and burdensome red tape and obtain the permits they need to proceed nearly instantly.
“In the middle of summer heat and rising utility bills, this is a moment for solutions to provide more clean energy to our electric grid and provide more savings for ratepayers. Smart solar permitting can bring permitting into the 21st century, reduce costs and burdens on towns and cities and get more clean energy onto the electric grid and save ratepayers money,” said State Sen. John McKeon (D-27). “We should put people over paperwork so we can get more solar on our rooftops and more savings for ratepayers in our wallets — that’s a win for our environment, our electric grid and for all of us.”
The bill also allows local communities to opt out of using the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) platform as long as they implement a comparable alternative. These jurisdictions must submit an annual report to the DCA that provides information on the number of permit applications submitted through their automated platform and shows documentation that their platform meets the needed requirements.
News item from Environment New Jersey
