Rep. Imani Barnes Introduces Georgia Residential Solar Access Act

ATLANTA - State Representative Imani Barnes (D-Tucker) recently introduced House Bill 1304, also known as the Georgia Residential Solar Access Act, which would make residential portable solar more accessible and ease utility restrictions on portable solar use devices up to 1,200 watts.

"I am proud to introduce the Georgia Residential Solar Access Act," said Rep. Barnes. "The goal of this legislation is to empower Georgians to generate their own electricity by making portable solar more accessible and prohibiting utility restrictions on portable solar use. Energy resilience should not be limited to those who can afford full rooftop systems. These devices would provide safe, code-compliant and consumer-owned energy freedom for Georgia families and would ensure that Georgians are prepared during outages and emergencies. By encouraging and removing barriers for clean energy use for Georgians, we would not only be helping our environment but also saving Georgians money. I look forward to working with my legislative colleagues to advance this bill throughout the legislative process."

HB 1304 would legalize and regulate small "plug-in" portable solar devices of up to 1,200 watts. The bill would also define portable solar generation devices as movable photovoltaic systems that plug into a standard 120-volt outlet, meet National Electrical Code standards, are UL-certified and include safety features that prevent back feeding during power outages. It would prohibit electric service providers from requiring prior approval, interconnection agreements, special meters or additional fees for their use. Overall, HB 1304 seeks to reduce barriers for portable residential solar devices while maintaining basic safety requirements.

To read the full text of House Bill 1304, please click here. HB 1304 will be presented during the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 3 p.m. in room 403 of the Georgia State Capitol.

Representative Imani Barnes represents the citizens of District 86, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves on the Higher Education, Public and Community Health and Technology and Infrastructure Innovation committees.

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