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GA HB300
Bill
Status
Passed
4/22/2024
Primary Sponsor
Trey Kelley
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AI Summary
- Requires solar power facility lease agreements executed or renewed on or after July 1, 2024, to include provisions obligating the grantee (solar facility operator) to fully decommission and remove all solar equipment, foundations, underground cables, and overhead lines from the landowner's property upon lease termination
- Mandates grantees obtain and deliver to landowners an automatically renewing surety or performance bond (financial assurance) no later than the facility's commercial operations date, with the bond amount set at estimated removal costs minus salvage value plus any value pledged to secure debt, as determined by an independent Georgia-licensed professional engineer
- Requires grantees to provide updated removal cost and salvage value estimates from an independent engineer no later than 20 years after the commercial operations date and at least every five years thereafter for the remainder of the lease term
- Prohibits counties and municipalities from imposing additional financial assurance requirements on grantees who have agreements conforming to the new law, and prohibits grantees from canceling financial assurance until decommissioning is complete unless replacement assurance is provided
- Decommissioning requirements—including removal of foundations and cables to at least three feet below surface grade, restoration of soil, removal of roads, and reseeding of pastureland—may be waived or modified through a written, notarized agreement between the grantee and landowner recorded with the county superior court clerk
Legislative Description
Solar Technology Trust Fund; fund within state treasury; establish
Last Action
Effective Date 2024-07-01
4/22/2024
Committee Referrals
Regulated Industries and Utilities2/13/2024
Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications2/9/2023
Full Bill Text
No bill text available