UPDATED:
Gov. Jerry Brown, D-Calif., has signed into law S.B. 1222, which is designed to help reduce the costs of solar installations by limiting permitting fees.
According to the bill's sponsor, State Sen. Mark Leno, Californians' costs for solar have ‘remained much higher than necessary in some places because of inconsistent local permitting fees and costly inspections that are ill-suited for modern solar technology.’
The law prohibits a city or county from charging fees greater than $500 for installations up to 15 kW, or $500 plus $5 for each kilowatt more than 15 kW. Exceptions can be made if a local agency submits ‘substantial evidence’ of its administrative costs to issue the solar permit.
