New Jersey renters and apartment dwellers can now install plug-in solar panels under a law Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed Tuesday, Sept. 1. Livingston High School senior Jack Klein was in the Statehouse to see it happen.

Klein joined state Sen. John McKeon at the ceremony in Trenton for the signing of the Garden State Balcony Solar Act, the West Essex Tribune reported. McKeon, who represents District 27 in the New Jersey Senate, co-sponsored the bill. The district includes Livingston.

The law, S-2368, lets residents buy and use small solar devices that plug into a standard 120-volt outlet and feed electricity directly into a home's wiring. Qualifying units can produce up to 1,200 watts, roughly the output of a microwave oven.

Sherrill said at the signing that the units "can still shave up to $50 off the typical monthly bill," according to the New Jersey Monitor. The bill passed the Senate and Assembly unanimously in late June. It is the administration's latest push to cut residential energy costs as electricity prices spike amid surging demand from AI data centers.

Landlords, homeowner associations and municipalities cannot block residents from installing the devices, according to the New Jersey Senate Democrats' announcement. Tenants must give landlords at least 14 days' written notice before installation, and landlords may set rules on placement and size.

Units of 400 watts or less skip building and wiring code requirements entirely. Larger systems up to 1,200 watts qualify for a simplified process but must meet applicable installation rules, Electrek reported.

The devices are exempt from net metering. Owners will not receive credits for surplus electricity sent to the grid. Savings come from using solar power as it is produced.

McKeon said at the signing that the law expands access "especially for renters and households without access to a private rooftop."

About 40 percent of New Jersey residents rent or live in apartments, according to Hannah Birnbaum, co-founder of Permit Power, an advocacy group. Birnbaum said plug-in solar can save a family hundreds of dollars a year at no cost to other ratepayers, Parsippany Focus reported.

The law takes effect March 1, 2027.