HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23) announced Wednesday he planned to re-introduce legislation to establish bonding and decommissioning requirements for project developers who seek to install or operate commercial solar electric generation facilities in Pennsylvania.
Establishing reasonable bonding and decommissioning amounts, Yaw noted, will help to address challenges with how associated waste is discarded. In addition, the legislation would 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,” Sen. Yaw 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,” Sen. Yaw added. 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. Solar facilities have a finite life span, and many across the United States are coming to the end of their useful life.”
During the 2021-2022 legislative session, the bill, Senate Bill 284, was approved by the full Senate, but did not pass the House of Representatives.
For more state-related news and information, visit Senator Yaw’s website at www.SenatorGeneYaw.com or on Facebook and Twitter @SenatorGeneYaw.
CONTACT:
Matt Osenbach
(717) 787-3280