Energy bills are rising and families are looking for any way they can control their bills. While this is a complicated problem with a number of causes, there is a simple, no-cost way for state governments across the country to provide relief: Allow people to use plug-in solar panels without expensive and unnecessary red tape.

Plug-in solar panels work similarly to those you might see on a roof. But unlike those systems, plug-in solar panels connect into a wall outlet and supply power directly to your home. Your appliances prioritize this solar energy, reducing your reliance on electricity from the grid and lowering your electric bill. Small scale plug-in systems can be installed on a balcony, in a front or backyard, or on a deck. This makes plug-in solar a great option for people who live in apartment buildings, or have a roof that’s shaded by trees.

In January, I warned that the PJM power problem was no longer abstract, citing a then-recent capacity auction clearing 6,600 megawatts short of what the grid operator said it needed. I argued then, as many in the industry did, that the fix was new generation and that Pennsylvania, historically a net power producer, was positioned to supply it. But concerns around price caps, PJM's queue process, regulation, and other costs had developers looking elsewhere. PJM's 2025 Reliability Resource Initiative (RRI) was designed to jumpstart new builds by helping ease the queue problems, and conceptually, it was promising. When PJM made its selections, Pennsylvania accounted for just 342 MW of proposed new gas capacity under RRI: far behind Ohio and Virginia, and barely ahead of New Jersey.

Seven months later, the signal has flipped. Developers are answering, and Pennsylvania is where a disproportionate share of them want to build.