Bill > H7726

This bill, titled the "Solar Cost Reduction Act," aims to streamline the process for obtaining permits for residential and eligible small-scale solar energy systems by creating a statewide "smart solar permitting platform." This platform will allow for 24/7 electronic application submissions, automatically check for compliance with building, electrical, fire, and zoning codes, and issue permits instantly for compliant applications, eliminating the need for manual review. Municipalities will be required to either use this state platform or an equivalent automated system within twelve months of the bill's passage, and they will not be allowed to conduct additional manual plan reviews for systems permitted through these automated processes. For smaller solar systems (25 kilowatts or less), municipalities generally cannot require stamped electrical drawings or engineered plans unless explicitly mandated by code, and the bill also mandates that municipalities offer remote virtual inspections for certain residential building permits, primarily using photos and videos, and that these inspections must be no more costly or delayed than in-person ones. Furthermore, electric distribution companies will not be allowed to require additional inspections beyond those performed by the local permitting authority before granting permission to operate a solar energy system.

Business and Industry

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