CT HB05608

Solar photovoltaic facilities with a capacity of two or more megawatts on prime farmland or core forest land must receive written approval from the Department of Agriculture (for farmland) or Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (for forest land) that the project will not materially affect the land's status.

Facilities selected by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in solicitations issued prior to July 1, 2017, are exempt from the new requirements for prime farmland and core forest lands.

Applicants for certificates to construct solar facilities on prime farmland must furnish a decommissioning and restoration bond covering all costs, including soil assessment and restoration to farming-suitable conditions.

Soil assessments by a qualified soil scientist or agricultural professional must evaluate topsoil and subsoil depths, soil compaction, drainage alterations, erosion control, sedimentation control, and soil fertility.