In this guide
Short answer: not yet. As of October 22, 2026, Illinois has no plug-in solar law. SB 3104 passed the Senate Energy Committee in March 2026 but stalled in April over safety language. Its sponsor planned to bring back revised text in the fall veto session or in 2027. Today, a grid-tied kit needs your utility's interconnection approval.
- Status
- No law; bill stalled in the Senate
- Bills
- SB 3104 (Sen. Ventura); House companions HB 4371 and HB 4516
- Next chance
- Fall 2026 veto session or 2027 session
- What applies today
- ComEd / Ameren interconnection rules
- Average price
- About 19.2¢/kWh (July 2026)
What happened to SB 3104
Senator Rachel Ventura of Joliet introduced SB 3104 to let renters and homeowners plug small solar kits into an outlet on a balcony, porch or yard. It cleared the Senate Energy Committee 9 to 4 on March 12, 2026, and was placed on the calendar for a floor vote. Then it stopped.
According to Capitol News Illinois, the obstacle was safety language, not the idea. Utilities and labor unions worried about backfeeding (power flowing onto lines during an outage) and about a carve-out that would have allowed certified systems with little oversight. Lawmakers chose to wait and watch the states that passed laws first. Ventura said her office would draft new language modeled on those laws.
What a revised bill would likely include
Based on the laws passed elsewhere, expect a 1,200 W cap, certification to UL 3700 or an equivalent, a mandatory shut-off in outages, no net metering for plug-in devices and possibly a notice to the utility. The UL 3700 program, launched in January 2026, directly answers the backfeeding concern that held the bill up.
What applies today
ComEd and Ameren Illinois connect customer solar through the state's distributed generation interconnection rules: an application and approval before you switch on. A plug-in kit doesn't fit that process well. Read do you need to tell your utility? before you buy anything grid-tied.
Plugging an unapproved grid-tied kit into an outlet in a state without a law may break your utility's terms of service, your lease and possibly your insurance terms. It also earns nothing for exported power.
Options while you wait
- Community solar: Illinois has one of the largest community solar programs in the country, open to renters. See plug-in vs community solar.
- A power station with a panel for outages; it needs no approval. See plug-in solar vs a power station.
- Plan the spot: a south-facing balcony with little shade. See best angle and direction.
What a kit could save in Illinois
Illinois' average residential price was about 19 cents per kWh in July 2026 (EIA), and both ComEd and Ameren customers have seen sharp increases in supply and capacity charges.
| Setup | Produced per year | Saved per year |
|---|---|---|
| 400 W kit, vertical on a south railing, some shade | ~320 kWh | ~$58 |
| 800 W kit, vertical on a south railing, some shade | ~640 kWh | ~$98 |
| 800 W kit, tilted south, no shade | ~1,020 kWh | ~$156 |
| 1,200 W kit, tilted south, no shade | ~1,520 kWh | ~$190 |
Estimates assume you use 80% of the output (95% for 400 W, 65% for 1,200 W) at 19.2¢/kWh. Try your numbers with the calculator, preset for Illinois.
Frequently asked questions
Is balcony solar legal in Illinois?
Not under a specific law. SB 3104, sponsored by Senator Rachel Ventura, advanced through the Senate Energy Committee in March 2026 but stalled in April over safety language. Until a law passes, a grid-tied kit needs ComEd's or Ameren's interconnection approval.
Why did the Illinois plug-in solar bill stall?
Utilities and labor unions raised concerns about backfeeding during outages and about a carve-out that would have allowed certified systems with little oversight. The sponsor said nobody opposed the concept and that she would draft new language based on laws passed in other states.
When could Illinois legalize plug-in solar?
The sponsor aimed to return in the fall 2026 veto session. If that doesn't happen, a new bill would be filed in the 2027 spring session.
How much could a balcony solar kit save in Illinois?
At about 19 cents per kWh, a well-placed 800 W kit could save roughly $100 to $160 a year.
Update log
- Page published. Status: bill stalled, may return in the veto session.
Sources and official texts