Panel advances bill to legalize plug‑in solar and require utilities to approve meter collars with safety rules

The Senate Transportation and Energy Committee advanced House Bill 26-1007 after adopting a package of technical amendments aimed at balancing broader access to plug‑in (balcony) solar with utility safety and compatibility needs for meter-collar adapters.

Sponsors said the bill will increase access to affordable distributed solar for renters, shaded rooftops and small homes while protecting line workers and the grid through adopted safety standards. “This bill requires that plug‑in solar products be UL listed and labeled and that they include an automatic shutoff when the grid goes down, protecting home wiring, the electrical system, and utility workers,” Senator Kipp told the committee.

Proponents — including the Colorado Energy Office, Sierra Club, Solar United Neighbors and local governments — argued the measure will lower equipment and interconnection costs and help households manage rising electricity bills and planned public-safety power shutoffs. Several rural and municipal utilities, along with county and municipal representatives, raised concerns about physical compatibility of meter collars, meter-pedestal constraints, and the need for clear approval processes.

Negotiated amendments (L010 through L016) require qualifying retail and municipal utilities to post at least one approved collar on their website, set review timelines for additional devices, provide safety parameters (including when a collar cannot be approved), and preserve the ability to require production/monitoring meters as needed for federal transmission accounting. Utilities and stakeholder groups said those changes largely resolved outstanding concerns; the committee adopted the package and approved moving the bill forward.

What it will do: If enacted, the bill would legalize the retail sale and consumer use of UL‑listed plug‑in photovoltaic devices limited to defined size and safety specs, and would require utilities to implement an approval process for meter collars so customers can more easily add batteries, EV chargers or distributed generation without expensive service upgrades.

Next steps: The bill moves to the Committee of the Whole; sponsors and stakeholders said they will continue to refine HOA, refund and rollout timing issues as needed.