The Waxman-Markey bill abolishes neighborhood restrictions on solar panels. This provision was part of the “manager’s amendment” that was added to the bill at 3am the morning of the vote.
The bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to issue rules prohibiting private covenants that restrict or prohibit the installation of solar energy systems.
So if your neighborhood has existing rules that prohibit residents from turning their manicured front yards into solar farms, Waxman-Markey abolishes them.
That such “restrictive covenants” are typically a matter of private contract apparently matters little in the coming green world.