# Will New York Gov. Kathy Hochul sign a balcony solar bill? **URL:** \ **Category:** Renewable Energy\ **Created:** [June 17, 2026, 12:38am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/will-new-york-gov-kathy-hochul-sign-a-balcony-solar-bill/125201 "2026-06-17T00:38:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jaagu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/jaagu/32/6160_2.png) [@jaagu](https://discussion.fool.com/u/jaagu)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2026, 12:38am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/will-new-york-gov-kathy-hochul-sign-a-balcony-solar-bill/125201/1 "2026-06-17T00:38:38Z")
Apartment and condo dwellers of New York have long been unable to tap solar power at home to lower their energy bills. But that could soon change. Late last month, state legislators passed the **[Solar Up Now New York](https://google.com/url?q=https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8512/amendment/C&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1781563396547770&usg=AOvVaw1wIPVdPdmW80l2ut1M8Z6p)** (SUNNY) Act to legalize panels that plug into a standard outlet and start producing electricity. Support for the tech, also known as DIY or **[balcony solar](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/what-to-know-balcony-solar)**, is sweeping the country, with **[seven states](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/states-passing-balcony-solar-laws)** having cleared the way for installations and more than two dozen others considering bills that would do the same. New York is the most populous state so far where plug-in solar has won the legislature’s blessing. The fate of the state’s measure now rests in the hands of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has until the end of the year to sign it into law and is not giving any hints on which way she leans. ​“We will review the legislation,” Hochul spokesperson Ken Lovett told Canary Media. Hochul, a Democrat up for reelection, has earned a reputation for rolling back state climate action in her pursuit of an **[affordability-first agenda](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/05/hochul-climate-affordability-democrats-00950868?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_climatecoach)**. After **[delaying a cap-and-invest program](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2025/01/16/n-y--lawmakers-push-back-on-hochul-s-hesitancy-to-impose-cap-and-invest)** that would charge polluters for their carbon emissions, she succeeded last month in **[kneecapping](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/emissions-reduction/new-york-gives-up-ambitious-climate-targets)** New York’s ambitious climate law. Last winter, she also **[abruptly hit pause](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/carbon-free-buildings/new-york-pause-gas-ban-rules)** on pioneering requirements that most new buildings be all-electric. Still, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, sponsor of the SUNNY Act, believes Hochul will ultimately sign the legislation given balcony solar’s widespread cost-cutting appeal. Even utility Consolidated Edison **[supported the proposal](https://assets.canarymedia.com/content/uploads/Con-Edison-Memo-in-Support-S.8512-B-Krueger-A.9111-B-Gallagher-Solar-Up-Now-NY-Act.pdf)**, breaking from the **[trend of utility pushback](https://www.npr.org/2026/03/12/nx-s1-5737287/solar-panels-utilities-energy-saving)** in other states. “This is the most popular bill I’ve worked on,” Gallagher, a Democrat, said in a statement. ​“Every state that touches New York either has passed similar legislation already or has an active bill. The best way to ensure safe, regulated adoption of this new technology is to sign this bill into law.” Doing so would also give lawmakers who voted for the bill a legislative win before the November midterm elections, advocates point out. Across the U.S., **[nearly half of households](https://docs.nlr.gov/docs/fy15osti/63892.pdf)** can’t access rooftop solar systems (even if they can **[afford them](https://www.energysage.com/local-data/solar-panel-cost/)**), because they rent, live in apartments, or have shaded or cramped roofs. Those are situations common to many in New York City, where about **[75% of homes](https://chpcny.org/visualization/housing-stock-visualization/)** are in buildings with three or more units, a figure much higher than the **[national average](https://data.census.gov/table?q=DP04)**. These households might be able to **[subscribe](https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/NY-Sun/Community-Solar/Community-Solar-Map)** to offsite **[community solar](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/guides-and-how-tos/what-is-community-solar-and-how-can-you-sign-up)** projects to cut their energy bills, but slots are limited and often fill up fast. > **[Will New York Gov. Kathy Hochul sign a balcony solar bill?](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/new-york-gov-sign-balcony-solar-bill?amp%3Butm_medium=email&%3Butm_campaign=canary&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--3rICcdXfEJYRxWqlIIaQhgK7r3IZ19uDFRO7NirfIct_oFauC8-mdF_5G5WshH-kCakv3KzUxuqnX3ISpJM37RBEyJw&_hsmi=424040584&utm_source=newsletter)** > > The legislature passed a measure to allow DIY plug-in solar panels, and clean energy boosters are hopeful that Hochul will sign it to promote…