California just made it legal to turn balconies into tiny power plants

kAmpD 7C66 2?5 23F?52?E 2D DF?=:89E >2J 36[ 92C?6DD:?8 :ED A@H6C C6>2:?D DEF33@C?=J 5:77:4F=E 7@C 9@>6@H?6CD] (9:=6 E96 4@DE @7 D@=2C 6?6C8J 92D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@FCH@C=5:?52E2]@C8^52E2\:?D:89ED^D@=2C\A2?6=\AC:46D\92G6\72==6?\3J\2C@F?5\a_\6G6CJ\E:>6\8=@32=\42A24:EJ\5@F3=65QmA=F>>6E65 >@C6 E92? h_ A6C46?Ek^2m :? E96 =2DE 564256[ A2?6=D C6>2:? 2 D:8?:7:42?E :?G6DE>6?E] p?5 :E’D ?@E 2D 62DJ 2D ;FDE D=2AA:?8 A2?6=D @? 2 C@@7[ 2D J@FC 9@>6 >2J ?665 6=64EC:42= FA8C256D E@@]k^Am

kAmxE 5@6D?’E 92G6 E@ 36 E9:D H2J[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8C:DE]@C8^QmvC:DEk^2m C6A@CED] r@F?EC:6D =:<6 v6C>2?J 92G6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8C:DE]@C8^3F:=5:?8D^9@H\86C>2?J\@FE7:EE65\92=7\2\>:==:@?\32=4@?:6D\H:E9\D@=2C\A2?6=D^Qm6?4@FC2865 E96 AC@=:76C2E:@? @7 32=4@?J D@=2Ck^2m[ 2=D@ <?@H? 2D A=F8\:? D@=2Ci D>2==6C[ 4962A6C 2CC2JD E92E 9@@< :?E@ 2 9@>6’D 6=64EC:42= @FE=6ED] %9:D @77D6ED D@>6 @7 2 C6D:56?46’D 6?6C8J FD6[ D2G:?8 FD6CD k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]H2D9:?8E@?A@DE]4@>^4=:>2E6\6?G:C@?>6?E^a_ad^_g^`a^32=4@?J\D@=2C\A=F8\:?\C@@7E@A^Qm9F?5C65D @7 5@==2CD 2 J62Ck^2m[ 2?5 @A6?D FA D@=2C 6?6C8J E@ C6?E6CD H:E9 32=4@?:6D @C 324<J2C5D] pD 2 3@?FD[ E96 =6DD A@H6C 9@>6D 92G6 E@ 5C2H 7C@> E96 8C:5[ E96 =6DD DEC6DD E96J AFE @? E96 DJDE6>[ 6DA64:2==J 5FC:?8 962E H2G6D H96? 6G6CJ@?6 :D CF??:?8 6?6C8J\9F?8CJ 2:C 4@?5:E:@?6CD]k^Am

kAm~? $6AE] b_[ r2=:7@C?:2 @77:4:2==J 8@E :? @? E96 32=4@?J\D@=2C 24E:@? 2D v@G6C?@C v2G:? }6HD@> D:8?65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^=68:D42?]4@>^rp^E6IE^$qgeg^:5^bahhhd`Qm2 3:==k^2m 2==@H:?8 C6D:56?ED @7 E96 ?2E:@?’D >@DE A@AF=@FD DE2E6 E@ 25@AE E96 E649?@=@8J] xE ;@:?D 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8C:DE]@C8^3F:=5:?8D^32=4@?J\D@=2C\:D\E2<:?8\DE2E6\=68:D=2EFC6D\3J\DE@C>^Qm92?57F= @7 DE2E6Dk^2m[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8C:DE]@C8^6?6C8J^FE29\A@CE23=6\A=F8\:?\D@=2C\=2H^Qm=:<6 &E29 2?5 |2:?6k^2m[ :? D66:?8 E96 A@E6?E:2= @7 E96 E649?@=@8J E@ 86?6C2E6 4=62? 6=64EC:4:EJ 2?5 D2G6 C6D:56?ED >@?6J 2D 6?6C8J 4@DED C:D6]k^Am

kAm“%9:D E649?@=@8J :D G6CJ :>A@CE2?E 2?5 G6CJ A@H6C7F=[” DE2E6 $6?2E@C $4@EE (:6?6C[ H9@ 2FE9@C65 E96 =68:D=2E:@?[ D2:5 5FC:?8 2 AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 ~4E] `] “p?5 H92E E9:D 3:== 5@6D :D 6=:>:?2E6 E96 >2DD:G6 32CC:6C E@ A6@A=6 FD:?8 A=F8\:? D@=2C[ H9:49 :D E92E J@F’5 92G6 E@ 8@ 2?5 ?68@E:2E6 2? :?E6C4@??64E:@? 28C66>6?E H:E9 !vU2>Ajt ,!24:7:4 v2D 2?5 t=64EC:4 r@>A2?J. @C E96 @E96C FE:=:EJ]”k^Am

kAm%96 AC@=:76C2E:@? @7 A=F8\:? D@=2C >2C<D 2 7F?52>6?E2= D9:7E :? 9@H E96 6=64EC:42= 8C:5 @A6C2E6D] w:DE@C:42==J[ FE:=:E:6D 92G6 86?6C2E65 6=64EC:4:EJ 3J 3FC?:?8 7@DD:= 7F6=D =:<6 4@2= 2?5 ?2EFC2= 82D] (96? 56>2?5 C@D6[ =:<6 H96? A6@A=6 C6EFC?65 9@>6 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J 2?5 DH:E4965 @? 2AA=:2?46D[ E96J’5 ;FDE C2>A FA AC@5F4E:@?] %9:D <6AE E96 DJDE6> :? 2 D@CE @7 6BF:=:3C:F>[ 2 4@?DE2?E 32=2?46 @7 DFAA=J 2?5 56>2?5]k^Am

kAm%92E[ E9@F89[ 5@6D?’E BF:E6 H@C< E96 D2>6 H:E9 C6?6H23=6D =:<6 H:?5 2?5 D@=2C] x7 56>2?5 :D 9@=5:?8 DE625J 2?5 E96 DF? :D D6EE:?8[ 2 FE:=:EJ :D?’E 86?6C2E:?8 2D >F49 6=64EC:4:EJ H:E9 :ED A2?6=D] $2>6 H:E9 H:?5[ :7 E96 D<:6D DF556?=J 42=>] $@ :? 255:E:@? E@ 3F:=5:?8 @FE H:?5 2?5 D@=2C 72C>D[ FE:=:E:6D 2C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8C:DE]@C8^6?6C8J^8C:5\32EE6C:6D\92G6\?6G6C\366?\>@C6\23F?52?E\@C\>@C6\FD67F=^Qm56A=@J:?8 9F86 32EE6C:6Dk^2m E@ D2G6 E92E 6?6C8J 7@C =2E6C FD6] %9:D 4C62E6D 2 >@C6 7=6I:3=6 8C:5 E92E 42? DE:== 9F> H:E9 6=64EC:4:EJ H96? E9:?8D 2C6 52C< @C 42=>]k^Am

kAm%9:D EC2?D7@C>2E:@? :D EFC?:?8 J@F[ E96 4@?DF>6C[ :?E@ 2 >@C6 24E:G6 A2CE:4:A2?E :? E96 8C:5] u@C J62CD ?@H[ 9@>6D H:E9 D@=2C 92G6 D6?E 6I46DD 6?6C8J 324< E@ E96 8C:5] (9:=6 A=F8\:? D@=2C >:89E 86?6C2E6 2 7C24E:@? @7 H92E J@F’5 86E 7C@> 2 C@@7 4@G6C65 :? A2?6=D[ :E 42? DE:== 96=A >2<6 E96 8C:5 >@C6 7=6I:3=6] x?DE625 @7 7665:?8 E96 DJDE6>[ :E C65F46D E96 2>@F?E @7 6=64EC:4:EJ 5C2H? 7C@> E96 8C:5] $42=65 24C@DD 2 H9@=6 4:EJ[ E96D6 D>2== C65F4E:@?D 42? 255 FA[ @77D6EE:?8 D@>6 @7 E96 8C@HE9 :? 56>2?5 7C@> E9:?8D =:<6 px 52E2 46?E6CD 2?5 6=64EC:7:42E:@?] W%9:?< :?5F4E:@? DE@G6D ?665:?8 6=64EC:4:EJ :?DE625 @7 ?2EFC2= 82D[ 2?5 t'D 492C8:?8 :?DE625 @7 3FC?:?8 7F6=]X k^Am

kAm“%9:D :D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE :>>65:2E6[ 4@?4C6E6[ E2?8:3=6[ C62=[ 2?5 277@C523=6 E9:?8D E92E H6 42? 5@ E@ DE2CE E@ 86E 4@?EC@= @7 @FC 9:89 6?6C8J 4@DED[ 3FE 2=D@ D2G6 @FC A=2?6E[” q6C?256EE6 s6= r9:2C@[ D6?:@C G:46 AC6D:56?E 7@C r2=:7@C?:2 2E E96 ?@?AC@7:E t?G:C@?>6?E2= (@C<:?8 vC@FA[ D2:5 5FC:?8 E96 AC6DD 4@?76C6?46] “$@ :E’D C62==J 2 EH@76C]”k^Am

kAmq2D:42==J[ A=F8\:? D@=2C 4@F=5 96=A C65F46 4@?86DE:@? :? E96 DJDE6> 2E A62< E:>6D — H96? :E’D 9@E @FE 2?5 6G6CJ@?6’D CF??:?8 E96:C pr[ E96C6’D 2=D@ A=6?EJ @7 DF? E@ DEC:<6 E96 A2?6=D] xE’D EFC?:?8 9@>6D 2?5 2A2CE>6?ED :?E@ 2 5:DEC:3FE65 ?6EH@C< @7 E:?J A@H6C A=2?ED] “xE’D C62==J :562= E@ FD6 C6?6H23=6 6=64EC:4:EJ 6I24E=J H96C6 :E’D 86?6C2E65[” D2:5 p>2?52 $>:E9[ 2 D6?:@C D4:6?E:DE 7@4FD:?8 @? E96 3F:=E 6?G:C@?>6?E 2E !C@;64E sC2H5@H?[ 2 4=:>2E6 D@=FE:@?D ?@?AC@7:E] k^Am

kAm%9:D :?4C62D65 :?E6C24E:G:EJ :? E96 8C:5 4@>6D 2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8C:DE]@C8^6?6C8J^A@H6C\3:==D\6=64EC:4:EJ\AC:46D\DE2E6\3J\DE2E6^QmFE:=:EJ 3:==D 4@?E:?F6 E@ D<JC@4<6Ek^2m] q2D:4 A=F8\:? D@=2C DJDE6>D H:== D6E J@F 324< 2 76H 9F?5C65 5@==2CD[ 2?5 J@F 42? A@E6?E:2==J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]H2D9:?8E@?A@DE]4@>^4=:>2E6\6?G:C@?>6?E^a_ae^_h^_b^7FEFC6\4@249\42?\32=4@?J\D@=2C\=@H6C\J@FC\6=64EC:4:EJ\3:==^Qm>2<6 324< E92E >@?6J H:E9 6?6C8J D2G:?8D :? 2C@F?5 7@FC J62CDk^2m] W%96 9:896C E96 6?6C8J 4@DED :? J@FC DE2E6[ E96 BF:4<6C J@F’5 86E E92E C6EFC? @? J@FC :?G6DE>6?E]X $E:==[ 7@C 2 =@E @7 9@FD69@=5D[ E92E’D 2 >2;@C :?G6DE>6?E[ D@ :562==J 2 DE2E6 2=D@ AC@G:56D C632E6D 7@C A6@A=6 E@ 25@AE E96 E649?@=@8J] k^Am

kAm(:E9 r2=:7@C?:2 ?@H 23@2C5 E96 A=F8\:? D@=2C EC2:?[ J@FC DE2E6 >2J H6== 7@==@H] “%96 3:8 C62D@? E9:D :D 2 3:8 562= C62==J :D 3642FD6 :E’D E96 >@DE 277@C523=6 H2J 7@C A6@A=6 E@ 24EF2==J A2CE:4:A2E6 H:E9 D@=2C !'[” $>:E9 D2:5] “(92E6G6C 92AA6?D :? r2=:7@C?:2 :D 8@:?8 E@ :?7=F6?46[ x E9:?<[ 2 =@E @7 @E96C 7FEFC6 DE2E6 >2C<6ED] $@ :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 <6J @?6 E@ H2E49]”k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8C:DE]@C8^D@=FE:@?D^42=:7@C?:2\;FDE\>256\:E\=682=\E@\EFC?\32=4@?:6D\:?E@\E:?J\A@H6C\A=2?ED^Qmk6>m%9:D DE@CJk^6>mk^2mk6>m H2D AC@5F465 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8C:DE]@C8^Qmk6>mvC:DEk^6>mk^2mk6>m 2?5 C6G:6H65 2?5 5:DEC:3FE65 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^9F3D]=2^"_b<=8$#_Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk6>m$E24<6Ck^6>mk^2mk6>m]k^6>mk^Am