OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCTV) – The City of Overland Park supports state legislation limiting homeowner associations’ ability to ban or restrict residential solar panels.

The move was prompted by a recommendation from the city’s Environmental Advisory Council, which in a September letter urged the City Council’s Community Development Committee to insert language into Overland Park’s 2026 State Legislative Program backing limits on HOA restrictions. The advisory council asked the city to include the statement: “The City supports legislation that limits the ability of homeowner associations to restrict residential solar panels.”

The city’s legislative platform already endorses broader sustainability measures, including energy and water conservation, renewable energy development, green infrastructure, and incentives for residential and commercial customers to invest in energy-efficiency programs. It also calls for a state energy plan that encourages low-emitting and renewable energy sources.

In its letter, the Environmental Advisory Council cited data from the city’s reduced permit-fee program for new, solar-ready homes, which it said produced only one eligible project because most new houses are governed by HOAs that do not allow rooftop solar. By contrast, the council noted, the city permitted more than 150 residential solar projects on existing homes during the same period, largely outside of HOA control.

“For years, bills have been introduced in both the Kansas House and Senate that would void restrictive covenants in homeowner associations that limit or prohibit the installation of solar panels while allowing HOAs to adopt reasonable rules concerning installation,” the council wrote. The letter added that studies indicate allowing solar panels can raise property values while reducing energy costs and a home’s carbon footprint.

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City officials have framed the endorsement as consistent with Overland Park’s broader conservation and climate resilience goals, which emphasize benefits to air and water quality, carbon sequestration, and public health. The Environmental Advisory Council’s recommendation was presented to the City Council for consideration as part of the state legislative platform-setting process.

No specific bill or legislative timeline was cited in the advisory council’s letter. The council asked the City Council to consider amending the State Legislative Program to reflect the city’s support for limiting HOA restrictions on residential solar panels.

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