Alaska bill would protect plug‑in portable solar devices from utility interference

Representative Ted Eisheide introduced House Bill 257 on Feb. 10, saying the measure is intended to help Alaskans lower electric bills and increase household energy independence by creating a protected class of certified portable plug‑in solar generation devices.

"Plug in solar devices provide some possible relief," Eisheide said, describing the devices as "small devices, 1,200 watts or less," that a homeowner can place in sun and plug into a standard outlet. He said the bill would require devices to be certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory and meet the National Electric Code.

Aaron Callahan, staff to Representative Eisheide, presented the bill’s sectional analysis and said the draft would add a new provision to AS 42.05 (portable solar generation devices), exempting certified portable devices up to 1,200 watts from utility interconnection, prohibiting utilities from requiring permission or fees, and stating utilities would not be liable for damage or injury caused by the devices.

Committee members focused questions on safety standards, how the devices prevent backfeed during outages, and whether multiple units per home would effectively circumvent the bill’s wattage limit. Representative Copp asked whether the units require a transfer switch like backup generators; Eisheide and Callahan said the inverter includes sensing that disables export when grid power is absent, preventing backfeed during outages.

Members also raised concerns about the threshold for small utilities and whether the measure should allow opt‑in exceptions for rural grids with limited capacity. On standards, Eisheide and Callahan said Underwriters Laboratories is developing a draft standard (UL 3700) and noted many products have European certifications but may need U.S. certification due to different electrical systems.

Ben May, founder of Alaska Solar, who joined online, said inverter makers (he named AP Systems) have early production and European certifications, but a UL listing would likely be the gateway to wider use in Alaska.

The committee set the bill aside after questioning for further review and recommended clarifying language on aggregation (per‑unit versus per‑domicile limits) and the potential for registration or other administrative options for utilities.

The committee did not vote on the bill; members asked staff to refine draft language and to return with clarifications on the per‑domicile wattage aggregation and the handling of small utility reliability concerns.