Legislation seeks to establish bonding, decommissioning requirements for commercial solar facilities

Legislation soon to be re-introduced in the state Senate would establish bonding and decommissioning requirements for project developers seeking to install or operate commercial solar electric generation facilities in Pennsylvania.

The legislation aims to address challenges regarding how associated waste is discarded and to protect landowners who lease their property to developers.

“This bill provides uniformity and certainty statewide for solar generation facilities and landowners, which are often multi-generational,” state Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Bradford County, who will introduce the bill, said. “It’s important that Pennsylvania offers a regulatory framework that attracts the diversification of our energy resources while still supporting landowners through the complicated and daunting task of safely decommissioning these facilities.

“This is not a new concept as coal, natural gas, solid waste, and a host of other industries are required to post financial guarantees for their activities. While solar may use renewable energy to generate electricity, the components utilized to do so are not. Often, they include rare earth metals and other hazardous materials, which pose environmental or public health hazard if not handled appropriately.”

The bill was previously introduced during the 2021-2022 legislative session as Senate Bill 284. It was approved by the full Senate but did not pass the House of Representatives.