ICYMI: NYC Council Speaker Menin, Sen. Krueger Urge Hochul To Lower NYers' Bills And Sign SUNNY Act

NEW YORK, NY (10/19/2026) (readMedia)-- Two op-eds this weekend urged Governor Hochul to sign the SUNNY Act, legislation that would remove red tape to plug-in solar panels to help lower energy bills and generate renewable power.

One op-ed, by New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger in the New York Daily News comes just weeks after California, New Jersey, and Connecticut leaders signed legislation allowing balcony solar panels in their states. Read the full op-ed here and below.

In the op-ed, Speaker Menin and Senator Krueger write that the SUNNY Act is "exactly the kind of pragmatic, concrete, common-sense action that lawmakers can and should be taking to give New Yorkers some immediate relief" from rising energy bills. The authors note that the legislation is "especially important for our constituents," and that "plug-in solar panels are the perfect solution" for residents who cannot afford or don't have the space for rooftop solar. The authors continue: "If this sounds too good to be true, don't take it from us: look at the red and blue states across the country who just passed legislation doing the same thing, including our neighbors in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont."

Another op-ed in the Albany Times Union, by members of the Virginia House of Delegates Paul Krizek (D) and Delores Oates (R), describes how simple plug-in solar is and its bipartisan appeal. "The Democratic argument for plug-in solar starts with consumer access and affordability. A resident may want solar but rent an apartment, live in a townhouse or simply lack control of a suitable roof." And, "the Republican argument for plug-in solar starts with consumer freedom. Families should be allowed to spend their own money on a product that reduces what they buy from monopoly utilities. A device designed to offset part of one household's consumption shouldn't have to overcome a complex interconnection process designed for much larger systems." Read the full op-ed here and below.

ABOUT THE SUNNY ACT

Plug-in solar panels are small, portable solar panels that allow individuals to generate renewable energy by connecting to a standard household outlet or power source. These solar panels are becoming much more popular, especially as New Yorkers search for ways to help lower record-high gas and electric bills that are continuing to rise, and according to NPR, the panels "start shaving off part of a homeowner's or renter's utility bill right away."

The SUNNY Act will remove red tape and legalize "balcony solar," the small, plug-in solar panels that everyday families can use to lower their energy bills and generate renewable energy. If Governor Hochul signs the bill, New York will join a growing number of states that are clearing the way for plug-in solar, including New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Colorado, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, Utah, and Virginia, and enable all New Yorkers to start generating their own clean, affordable power simply by plugging in eligible solar panels that can be purchased online or at a store. But it's not just here in the U.S.: The United Kingdom recently joined Germany and Spain in allowing major retailers to start selling plug-in panels to the public so they can lower their energy bills.

In the New York Daily News: Hochul Should Sign New Solar Panel Bill

by Liz Krueger and Julie Menin

This past summer was hot and expensive and many families faced record-high energy bills trying to keep their homes cool. Unfortunately, this issue isn't going away as long as we remain hooked on costly, polluting fossil fuels. Too often, the climate and affordability crises are falsely portrayed as competing priorities in direct conflict with one another. And while policymakers fight about how to solve these crises, regular New Yorkers are just trying to figure out how to get by.

But right now, Gov. Hochul has a chance to sign legislation that would help lower utility bills while reducing emissions and expanding access to renewable power. We think she should.

As chair of the Senate Finance Committee and speaker of the New York City Council, we are working hard with colleagues at the state and local level to lower costs and create a healthier, more sustainable future for our constituents. We represent some of the most densely-populated neighborhoods in the state, where our residents are paying record-high energy bills and are eager to find ways to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

The SUNNY Act, which passed the Legislature with broad bipartisan support, is a simple, common-sense way to allow families to fight climate change and lower their energy bills. It legalizes plug-in solar panels, often referred to as "balcony solar," which can be safely and easily installed in houses and apartments alike - but which are currently blocked by outdated rules that require the same complicated interconnection agreements necessary for full rooftop solar arrays.

Signing the SUNNY Act would let New Yorkers take power back into our own hands while giving us some relief in the process. That's especially important for our constituents. While many households across the state are installing rooftop solar panels, the renters and apartment owners who make up our districts often don't have that option.

Plug-in solar panels are the perfect solution. These devices can be placed onto a balcony, backyard, or patio, and easily set up to start powering homes right away. One plug-in panel can generate up to hundreds of dollars of savings each year, helping offset 10-20% of electricity bills.

If this sounds too good to be true, don't take it from us: look at the red and blue states across the country who just passed legislation doing the same thing, including our neighbors in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont. In the last year, lawmakers in Colorado, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, Utah, Virginia, and most recently California, all adopted similar legislation to embrace balcony solar so their residents can benefit, and bills have been introduced in 24 other states. Abroad, other countries including Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom have seen successful mass adoption of plug-in solar.

Of course, balcony solar panels alone can't solve skyrocketing utility bills or the climate crisis. But the SUNNY Act is exactly the kind of pragmatic, concrete, common-sense action that lawmakers can and should be taking to give New Yorkers some immediate relief. Thankfully, the Legislature has already passed the bill, meaning the governor just needs to sign it.

The governor has declared that she is committed to using all the tools available to confront the energy affordability crisis. Plug-in solar is one more tool that can make an immediate difference. We hope the governor will follow through on her commitment to fight for a cleaner, more affordable New York and usher in a SUNNY-er future for all New Yorkers.

Krueger chairs the state Senate Finance Committee. Menin is speaker of the New York City Council.

In the Albany Times Union: Virginia made plug-in solar bipartisan. New York can too.

Making this technology available to New Yorkers will be a win for consumer choice, affordability and cutting red tape. Gov. Hochul should sign the SUNNY Act.

by Paul Krizek and Delores Oates

Most Americans think going solar means owning a suitable roof, hiring installers and making a major investment. But the next expansion of home solar may look less like a construction project and more like a household appliance.

Plug-in solar is a small system placed on a balcony, patio or deck or in a yard and connected through an ordinary electrical outlet. This innovation takes out the complicated install and puts more people in charge of their own energy.

Virginia has just created a clear path for this technology. Beginning on Jan. 1, customers will be able to use qualifying plug-in solar devices of up to 1,200 watts without a utility interconnection agreement, special fee or prior utility approval. Customers must send their utility a simple notification before installation; the utility then has 15 days to identify missing or inaccurate information.

One of us (Delegate Krizek) is a Democrat representing part of Fairfax County; the other (Delegate Oates) is a Republican representing Clarke County and portions of Frederick and Warren counties. We approached this issue from different political perspectives, but we both co-sponsored the successful legislation behind it - Virginia HB 395 - because it gives Virginians a practical way to lower their bills.

The Democratic argument for plug-in solar starts with consumer access and affordability. A resident may want solar but rent an apartment, live in a townhouse or simply lack control of a suitable roof. That divide exists nationwide: The United States has 42.5 million renter households, and nearly half spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

Plug-in solar won't erase an electric bill, but a small system can offset some of the electricity a household uses during the day, and typically saves several hundred dollars annually (depending on size, location, sunlight and household use). This new law also prevents many larger landlords from imposing a blanket prohibition while allowing reasonable rules about size and placement.

Meanwhile, the Republican argument for plug-in solar starts with consumer freedom. Families should be allowed to spend their own money on a product that reduces what they buy from monopoly utilities. A device designed to offset part of one household's consumption shouldn't have to overcome a complex interconnection process designed for much larger systems.

Both of us agree that plug-in solar should meet strong consumer-safety standards, but shouldn't face all the same red tape as much larger installations. Our law still requires qualifying equipment to certifiably meet national electrical codes and automatically shut down during outages, but it allows these small systems to bypass burdensome rules designed for much bigger ones.

That balance helped this state bill win overwhelming support. The House passed it 97–1, the Senate approved a slightly altered version 30–8, and the House later voted 99–0 to accept the governor's recommendations. Lawmakers didn't have to agree on every energy question to agree on this one.

Virginia isn't acting alone. Utah, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont and Virginia have enacted plug-in solar laws. New York's Legislature passed a bill that's now awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature.

Our country is now deciding, state by state, whether plug-in solar will become an ordinary consumer option or remain tangled in restrictive and inconvenient rules that only make sense for much larger projects.

Germany shows the potential. In 2024 and 2025, it registered nearly 900,000 new plug-in solar systems, which is more than 1,100 every day. What begins as a modest household investment can become a substantial national energy resource when consumers are allowed to adopt it at scale.

That lesson matters in Virginia. The US Energy Information Administration reports that Virginia may experience the largest absolute increase in energy demand of any state over the next five years, largely because of data-center growth.

Even though plug-in solar alone can't meet this growth, it's a convenient, popular and cost-effective additional source that interested households can add quickly and independently. And when every watt counts, there's no reason to keep anachronistically banning households (especially those for whom solar has traditionally been less accessible) from freely choosing to do their part.

Gov. Hochul should sign the bill. There's no need to gatekeep sunshine. Americans should not have to own a roof - or navigate a utility process designed for a much larger system - to access a small share of the power of our sun.

When a Democrat from northern Virginia and a Republican from the Shenandoah Valley can agree on that, we expect that New Yorkers will, too.

Paul Krizek and Delores Oates are members of the Virginia House of Delegates.