This coverage is made possible through a partnership with Grist and Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan.
People who want to install solar panels on their roofs have to consider a lot: sunlight, cost, and coordinating with contractors and utilities. Tens of millions of people across the country also have to think about their homeowners association.
In Michigan, a new law aims to remove that barrier by telling homeowners associations, or HOAs, they have to allow rooftop solar.
The Homeowners’ Energy Policy Act was signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Monday.
“We wanted to find a way to … empower homeowners to make those decisions themselves,” said Ranjeev Puri, a Democratic state representative from Canton Township in southeast Michigan and the bill’s main sponsor. “I think that this is an important step for a lot of people.”
The law gives many HOA members the power to install rooftop solar and an array of other ... Read more
