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H7726A
2026 -- H 7726 SUBSTITUTE A
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LC004762/SUB A
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- SOLAR COST REDUCTION ACT
Introduced By:
Representatives Boylan, Potter, DeSimone, Handy, Caldwell, Carson,
Cortvriend, McGaw, Speakman, and Voas
Date Introduced:
February 12, 2026
Referred To:
House Corporations
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Title 39 of the General Laws entitled "PUBLIC UTILITIES AND
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CARRIERS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
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CHAPTER 36
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SOLAR COST REDUCTION ACT
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39-36-1. Title.
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This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Solar Cost Reduction Act."
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39-36-2. Definitions.
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As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
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(1) "Department" means the Rhode Island office of energy resources, or such other state
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agency as may be designated by the governor to implement this chapter.
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(2) "Smart solar permitting platform" means software, or a combination of software, that:
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(i) Allows contractors and other qualified parties to submit applications electronically, on
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a twenty-four (24) hour per day, seven (7) day per week basis, for permits to install residential solar
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energy systems;
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(ii) Automatically performs code compliance checks and reviews permit applications for
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compliance with applicable building, electrical, fire, and zoning requirements;
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(iii) Generates approvals and issues permits or permit revisions instantly, without the need
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for follow-up manual plan review, for code-compliant applications;
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(iv) Accepts electronic payments of permitting fees, if such fees are levied; and
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(v) Issues permits or permit revisions upon receipt of payment.
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(3) "Eligible small-scale solar energy system" means:
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(i) A residential solar energy system of twenty-five kilowatts (25 kW) AC capacity or less;
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or
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(ii) A solar energy system of twenty-five kilowatts (25 kW) AC capacity or less installed
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on a property that is served by a residential electric meter, or that otherwise qualifies for expedited
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or simplified interconnection review by the electric distribution company, regardless of the
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ownership or use of the property.
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(4) "Energy storage system" means any technology capable of converting electrical energy
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to some form of stored energy for reconversion to electrical energy at a later time.
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39-36-3. Statewide smart solar permitting platform.
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(a) The department shall integrate into its existing online statewide permitting platform
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and/or procure, administer, and maintain a statewide smart solar permitting platform for the
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permitting of residential solar energy system or other eligible small-scale solar energy system .
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(b) The smart solar permitting platform shall, at a minimum:
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(1) Accept electronic permit applications for residential solar energy system or other
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eligible small-scale solar energy system including, but not limited to, photovoltaic systems, energy
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storage systems, main electrical panel upgrades, and main breaker derates;
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(2) Perform automated code compliance checks consistent with applicable state and local
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codes;
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(3) Issue permits and permit revisions instantly for code-compliant applications, without
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requiring follow-up manual plan review;
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(4) Allow for electronic signatures, stamps, seals, and certifications; and
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(5) Publish, on a publicly accessible website, all forms, documentation, and instructions
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required to submit a permit application through the platform.
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(c) The department shall make the smart solar permitting platform available to
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municipalities at no cost.
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(d) The department may assess reasonable fees to contractors, installers, or other
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professionals using the smart solar permitting platform to defray the costs of procuring,
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implementing, and administering the platform and complying with this chapter; provided, however,
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that:
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(1) All municipal permitting fees shall continue to be retained by the municipality; and
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(2) The use of the platform shall not alter a municipality’s authority to set permit fee
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amounts.
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39-36-4. Municipal participation and equivalency.
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(a) Not later than eighteen (18) months after the effective date of this chapter, every
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municipality shall allow applications for residential solar energy systems or other eligible small-
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scale solar energy systems to be submitted and permits issued instantly through:
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(1) The statewide smart solar permitting platform; or
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(2) An alternative automated solar permitting platform that is substantially equivalent to,
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or better than, the statewide platform.
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(b) An alternative automated platform shall be deemed substantially equivalent only if it:
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(1) Performs automated code compliance checks;
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(2) Issues permits and permit revisions instantly without follow-up manual plan review for
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code-compliant applications; and
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(3) Does not require the submission of documentation beyond what is required by the
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statewide smart solar permitting platform.
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(c) Rules and regulations governing the submission, review, and approval of permit
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applications through the statewide smart solar permitting platform shall be applied uniformly across
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all participating municipalities.
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39-36-5. Limitation on manual plan review.
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For any residential solar energy system or other eligible small-scale solar energy system
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for which a permit or permit revision is issued through the smart solar permitting platform or an
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equivalent automated platform, a municipality shall not require additional manual plan review as a
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condition of permit issuance.
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39-36-6. Engineering documentation thresholds.
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(a) For a residential solar energy system or other eligible small-scale solar energy system
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with a nameplate capacity of twenty-five kilowatts (25 kW) alternating current or less, a
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municipality or local permitting authority shall not require stamped electrical drawings, engineered
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plans, or additional engineering documentation as a condition of permit issuance, except where
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such documentation is expressly required by the applicable state building, electrical, or fire code.
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(b) For purposes of this section, a residential solar energy system or other eligible small-
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scale solar energy system shall be deemed eligible under subsection (a) of this section if the system
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qualifies for expedited or simplified interconnection review by the electric distribution company.
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(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of a permitting official
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to require additional documentation where a system presents documented and site-specific health
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or safety concerns.
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39-36-7. Electronic submissions and form requirements.
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(a) Municipalities and state agencies shall accept electronic signatures, documents, and
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submissions for permit applications processed through the smart solar permitting platform or an
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equivalent automated platform.
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(b) A permit application submitted through such a platform shall not be denied, delayed,
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or deemed incomplete solely due to a failure to comply with a requirement relating to the physical
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form, format, size, or method of submission of documents.
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39-36-8. Centralized repository of municipal solar ordinances.
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(a) The department shall establish and maintain a single, publicly accessible online
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repository containing all municipal ordinances, regulations, and local requirements applicable to
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the permitting and installation of solar energy systems in the state.
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(b) Each municipality shall provide the department with current versions of such
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ordinances and regulations and shall notify the department of any updates in a timely manner.
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(c) The department shall make the repository available through the smart solar permitting
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platform or a related state website.
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39-36-9. Remote preliminary inspections.
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(a)(1) By January 1, 2028, a city or town shall offer homeowners the option of requesting
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remote preliminary inspections, with the inspection conducted off site, for preliminary or “rough”
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inspections that may be required as part of the process for inspecting photovoltaic and energy
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storage systems in one and two (2) family dwelling units.
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(2) Remote preliminary inspections shall be conducted primarily through the submission
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of recorded photographs and videos demonstrating compliance with a city or town’s applicable
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code requirements.
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(3) A city or town may, but shall not be required to, offer live video conferencing as an
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optional remote preliminary inspection method, and shall not require the use of live video
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conferencing as a condition of offering or completing a remote preliminary inspection.
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(b) A city or town shall keep a digital record of the remote preliminary inspections for a
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reasonable period of time for later review, training, or compliance.
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(c) A city or town may, at their discretion, set up a process to:
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(1) Perform occasional on-site audits to confirm that a homeowner and/or a contractor is
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accurately representing the work that is the subject of a remote preliminary inspection.
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(2) If a homeowner and/or a contractor is found to have willfully misrepresented the work
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that is the subject of a remote preliminary inspection, temporarily ban that homeowner and/or
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contractor from using remote preliminary inspections and enter into agreements with other cities
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and towns to enforce each other's temporary remote preliminary inspections bans for homeowners
LC004762/SUB A - Page 4 of 7
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and/or contractors who have been found to willfully misrepresent the work.
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(3) If a remote preliminary inspection conducted pursuant to § 39-36-9 for a solar
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installation fails, a building inspector may, at their discretion, conduct additional preliminary
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inspections regarding that building permit remotely or in person.
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(d) A city or town shall offer remote preliminary inspections at no greater cost and with no
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greater delay than in-person inspections.
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(e) All liabilities and immunities including, but not limited to, the immunities provided to
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all municipalities and the state, shall apply to any preliminary inspections conducted remotely.
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39-36-10. Final inspections.
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(a) For any residential solar energy system or other eligible small-scale solar energy system
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including, but not limited to, energy storage systems, electrical panel upgrades, or main breaker
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derates, that is permitted pursuant to this chapter or through a state-approved automated smart solar
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permitting platform, a municipality or local permitting authority shall require no more than one
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final inspection as a condition of final approval.
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(1) If a remote preliminary inspection conducted pursuant to § 39-36-9 for a solar
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installation fails, a building inspector may, at their discretion, conduct future inspections regarding
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that building permit remotely or in person.
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(2) An additional inspection may be required only if the system fails the initial inspection;
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provided that, the permitting authority issues a written notice identifying the specific deficiencies
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that resulted in the failure.
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(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of a permitting official
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to conduct an inspection necessary to address documented health or safety violations discovered
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during the initial inspection.
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(b) A municipality or local permitting authority shall schedule and conduct a final
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inspection within five (5) business days of a request.
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(c) Upon mutual agreement between the municipal or local permitting authority and the
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installer, inspections are allowed without the presence of the installer.
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39-36-11. Reports to office of energy resources.
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(a) By July 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, jurisdictions shall provide a report to the office
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of energy resources that confirms that they have implemented a remote preliminary inspection
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program in compliance with this chapter, and reports the number of inspections for different types
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of permits that are done remotely and in person, and the failure rates of each inspection. The office
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of energy resources shall develop standards for the reports, and shall post the reports to its internet
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website.
LC004762/SUB A - Page 5 of 7
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(b) By January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, for jurisdictions that have implemented
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equivalent automated permitting platforms in lieu of using the state’s permitting platform,
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jurisdictions shall provide a report to the office of energy resources that confirms its compliance
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with this chapter, and reports the number of permits issued and the failure rates of permit
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applications. The office of energy resources shall develop standards for the reports, and shall post
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the reports to its website.
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(c) The office of energy resources may request information from a jurisdiction in order to
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assess whether a jurisdiction is in compliance with this chapter, post compliance information on its
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website, and take appropriate enforcement action to ensure compliance.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- SOLAR COST REDUCTION ACT
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This act would modernize the state’s existing online E-Permitting Portal by requiring
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automated plan review and instant permits issuance for residential solar energy systems or other
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eligible small-scale solar energy systems that meet all safety and building codes. It would also
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authorize remote preliminary inspections as a valid practice for typical rooftop residential
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installations in an effort to reduce administrative costs for Rhode Island’s municipalities,
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businesses, and consumers.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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