Plug-In Solar in Rhode Island

There's no plug-in solar law in Rhode Island yet. One 2026 bill addressed 1,200 W kits and won unanimous approval in the House. It then died in a Senate committee, so ordinary utility rules still apply.

A home with a plug-in solar panel on the porch railing, the kind of kit Rhode Island's rules apply to

No plug-in solar law in Rhode Island yetBill H 7269
The utility rules apply.No cap on plug-in watts.
29.1 centsAverage home price per kWh, from EIA, Jan to Aug 2026.
$310 each year.In Providence, an 800 W kit, before any utility solar fee is added.

Before connecting anything in Rhode Island, get approval from your electric utility first, and pick an inverter with a UL 1741 listing that includes anti-islanding, or a UL 3700 listing.

Rhode Island Plug-In Bills

Under H 7269 (2026) (Substitute A), a bill on portable solar, kits up to 1,200 W could use a standard 120 V outlet. Those kits would need UL or NRTL certification and would follow the National Electrical Code. One feature would keep the kit from energizing house wiring during a power outage. The bill asks for no utility approval, no fee, and no extra equipment, and it would allow no net metering. It would have started working right after it passed. The vote was House 70 to 0 on 9 Jun 2026, and the bill passed. It was referred that same day to the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee and died there. Bill page
In the Senate, S 2359 (2026) is the companion bill to H 7269 (Sen. Sen. Valverde introduced it on 30 Jan 2026. On 15 Apr 2026 the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee put it aside for further study, and it died in committee. See the bill
S 2658 (2026): a separate Senate measure (introduced 27 Feb 2026) that would create a residential solar category aimed at small portable solar generation devices; on 15 Apr 2026 it was held for further study by the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee, and it died in committee. Details

Today's Rule in Rhode Island

Hooking up: customer solar gets connected under the interconnection tariff of Rhode Island Energy (RIPUC 2244, Standards for Connecting Distributed Generation). Your small system can't run until Rhode Island Energy gives you an Authorization to Interconnect. To get that, file a Simplified Process interconnection application.

Net metering: state law in R.I. provides for it. Gen. Laws chapter 39-26.4: customers receive bill credits for power made, up to 125 percent of what they use on site during a billing period, and credits above 100 percent are paid at the rate the utility uses for avoided cost. The net metering credit is 20% lower for projects after 15 Apr 2023.

The Savings from a Kit in Rhode Island

In Providence, each 1 kW of panels yields 1,334 kWh a year, according to PVWatts. Homes in Rhode Island pay 29.1 cents per kWh in 2026 so far. An 800 W kit, broken down by where the panels go:

Where the panels go	kWh a year	Saved a year
Tilted south on a stand	1,067	$310
Upright on a railing	672	$195
Facing east or west	854	$248

Providence, Month by Month

Jan75
Feb76
Mar99
Apr103
May105
Jun99
Jul107
Aug102
Sep95
Oct82
Nov63
Dec60

kWh made by an 800 W kit, tilted south.

Kit Prices for Rhode Island

Kit	kWh a year	Saved a year	Pays back in	Price
US Solar Supplier 1180 W EZ1 Kit	1,574	$457	2.0 years	$899
Bright Saver 360 W Balcony Kit	480	$139	3.0 years	$414
EcoFlow STREAM 800 W Kit	1,067	$310	3.5 years	$1,099

Placed tilted south, with all of it used at home. Compare all kits

Things to Know in Rhode Island

Power costs a lot: residential customers paid an average of 28.65 cents/kWh in 2024, and across all customers Rhode Island's average price ranked 4th highest in the US, so every kWh a plug-in kit produces is worth more here than in most states.
Power sales in Rhode Island are competitive: behind Narragansett Electric (Rhode Island Energy), the state's next largest sellers are retail power marketers, including Constellation NewEnergy and Direct Energy Business.
ISO New England, the regional grid operator, sent lawmakers a letter about H 7269 and asked them to consider whether portable solar devices should have to meet UL 1741 and IEEE 1547, so stricter equipment rules may appear in a future Rhode Island bill.

Renting, or Setting Up on a Balcony?

Your landlord or HOA has the say on the mount. The hookup is up to your electric utility. Look at balcony solar and solar for apartments.

Main Utility Providers

Rhode Island Energy (The Narragansett Electric Company)
Pascoag Utility District
Block Island Power Company

Next Steps for You in Rhode Island

Pick a size: about 533 kWh a year comes from a 400 W kit in Providence, and about 1,600 kWh from a 1,200 W kit. Run yours.
Follow H 7269 in the next session. Should it pass, the approval step may no longer be needed.

Sources

Browse every state at a glance or check a neighbor: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut.