Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Plug in, power up: the people's solar movement is here

                                                                                                                                                         

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WE'VE SEEN THE POLITICAL HYSTERIA AND OUTRAGEOUS PROPOSALS....

HERE'S SOMETHING THAT WORKS:


For most of our history, Americans generated what they needed -- heat, light, and power -- without total dependence on a distant, centralized grid. That self-reliance built resilience. Today, new technology gives us a chance to take some of that control back. We can now produce electricity almost anywhere, even on a small balcony.

This is what reclaiming energy independence looks like in practice: reconnecting everyday people to the ability to generate their own power. Plug-in solar panels -- small, accessible, and easy to install -- can connect directly to a standard outlet and begin producing power immediately. No rooftop required, no contractors, no navigating utility bureaucracy.

For renters, apartment dwellers, and working families, this isn’t theoretical -- it’s a real pathway to becoming more self-sufficient while still using the grid more efficiently.

Balcony solar doesn’t just lower bills; it fundamentally shifts who controls energy. Instead of a system dominated by centralized utilities, it creates a distributed network where individuals generate power on their own terms. It reduces strain on the grid, cuts pollution, and builds resilience, without the environmental and community costs of massive infrastructure projects.

Tell your governor: Legalize balcony solar now. Wherever there’s a balcony, there’s an opportunity to take back control over energy. Don’t let your state fall behind.

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Momentum is already building. In 2025, Utah became the first state to fully legalize plug-in balcony solar without burdensome approvals or fees. Since then, more than half of U.S. states have introduced similar legislation. Virginia has passed a bipartisan bill, and Illinois is advancing measures that could save households hundreds of dollars annually.

Other countries have already demonstrated what’s possible. In Germany, hundreds of thousands of households use plug-in balcony solar systems as a core part of the national energy mix. The model is simple: no excessive permitting, no gatekeeping -- just people generating power where they live.

In too many U.S. states, outdated rules still block this progress, protecting utility monopolies instead of empowering individuals. That’s not inevitable -- it’s a policy choice. Governors can change it by cutting red tape and opening the door for people to produce their own energy.

The future of energy doesn’t have to mean deeper dependence. It can mean balance: using shared infrastructure when needed, while reclaiming the ability to generate power ourselves. The tools are here. The only question is whether leaders will let people use them.

Tell your governor: Legalize balcony solar now and help return power to the people.

Thank you for taking action to bring solar power to a balcony near you!

-Rick

Rick Weiland, Founder
TakeItBack.Org

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Across the U.S., States Are Unlocking Balcony Solar — Tell Your Governor Not to Fall Behind

The clean energy future is being built right now—and it’s happening from the ground up.

Across the country, states are stepping up to unlock balcony solar, rooftop solar, and distributed wind—putting power directly into people's hands. In 2025, Utah became the first state to legalize plug-in “balcony solar,” allowing small systems to connect directly to a wall outlet without burdensome utility approvals or fees.

Now the momentum is exploding.

Virginia lawmakers just passed legislation to create a clear pathway for simple plug-in balcony solar panels, with overwhelming bipartisan support. And Illinois is advancing a bill that would require utilities to allow these systems—potentially saving households hundreds of dollars a year while expanding access for renters.

In fact, more than half of U.S. states have introduced legislation to allow balcony solar like this, and over 20 states are actively considering balcony solar bills right now.

Across the Atlantic, Germany is already showing what’s possible. Hundreds of thousands of households have adopted plug-in “balcony solar” systems—simple devices that connect directly to a standard outlet and start generating clean power immediately. These small systems have become a cornerstone of Germany’s energy transition, helping everyday people lower their energy bills, cut pollution, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels—all without complex permitting or utility barriers. By embracing these technologies, Germany has proven that distributed, people-powered energy can scale quickly and deliver real climate benefits.

This is a movement.

And it matters for the climate. Household clean energy cuts pollution immediately—without the land clearing, habitat destruction, and community displacement often tied to massive utility-scale projects. It builds a system that is resilient, local, and people-powered.

But outdated rules in many states still block this progress—protecting utility monopolies instead of empowering communities.

Your governor can change that.

We need leadership to:

  • Legalize balcony solar if it is not already, and remove unnecessary red tape

  • Put clean energy within reach for renters and working families

Other states are proving what’s possible. Now it’s our turn.

Tell your governor: don’t let your state fall behind. Build a clean energy future that works for people—and the planet.

Please take action to support balcony solar and send your message today.



Fund human needs, not ICE

                                                                                                                                                        

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                    SHARED FOR INFORMATION AND EDUCATION ON SIGNIFICANT 

                    CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS! 



Going against public sentiment, the House advanced a bill to hand ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) up to $140 billion more―for the remainder of Donald Trump’s term.1 Remember, Congress already gave these anti-immigrant enforcement agencies about $170 billion last year in the Big Brutal Bill. At a time when the public’s views of ICE and the administration are at an all-time low, Congress continues to hand our tax dollars over to unaccountable agencies known for their brutality with absolutely no guardrails.

This additional funding will give them more resources to terrorize our communities and harass our children, racially profile and kidnap our neighbors, and commit assault. Since Trump returned to the White House in January, ICE has separated families, locked children in cages, killed civilians in our streets, overseen the most deaths in ICE custody in history, and is running inhumane detention centers with credible reports of abuse and torture.2 ICE and Border Patrol agents have even killed U.S. citizens in our streets, including Alex Pretti and Renee Good.3

We need priorities that put families and basic needs first, not a mass deportation machine that is terrorizing our communities. That’s why, as Congress heads home for recess, we’re keeping the pressure on. We’re rallying with our allies to protest this authoritarian administration while directing hundreds of thousands of messages to Congress to listen to the American people and fund communities, not ICE terror.

Donate $5 today to help power our work fighting for human needs and policies that help families, not tear them apart.


While Congress is funding extreme immigration enforcement to power Trump’s mass deportation machine, the House also passed the Farm Bill, which locked in the $187 billion in SNAP cuts that were made in the Big Brutal Bill. Families are struggling. The prices of groceries, gas, and consumer goods are skyrocketing, but instead of passing policies to help consumers, Congress is focused on doing the exact opposite.

Last month, Trump told a private luncheon crowd that the federal government can’t afford to support families’ access to child care or health care: “It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things. They can do it on a state basis. You can’t do it on a federal. We have to take care of one thing: military protection.”4

The priorities of our federal government are all screwed up. Gutting human needs programs doesn’t make us safer or stronger. It just ends up making us more vulnerable and inflicting unnecessary pain and suffering. We can’t allow this to continue.

Donate $5 today to keep fighting for human needs programs and fight back against continuing to fund increased militarism at home and abroad.

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately:


Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs

1 Budget resolution for immigration funds adopted in House – Roll Call
2 U.S. senators launch investigation into Alligator Alcatraz ‘torture’ allegations
3 Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
4 Trump says it's 'not possible' for the U.S. to pay for Medicaid, Medicare and day care: 'We’re fighting wars'



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Coalition on Human Needs
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Washington, DC 20036

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Plug in, power up: the people's solar movement is here

                                                                                                                                            ...