Georgia House passes bill to assure that solar farms don’t eventually become eyesores

Legislation aimed at ensuring the huge number of solar farms springing up across rural Georgia don’t become permanent eyesores cleared the state House of Representatives on Monday.

House Bill 300, which passed unanimously, requires companies that lease property for solar farms to restore the land to its natural state after the leases expire.

Restoration activities include removing the foundations of solar arrays from the ground to a depth of at lease three feet, filling holes that have been dug to accommodate solar panels, and removing cables and overhead power and communications lines.

The bill also requires the companies to provide financial assurance at least equal to the estimated cost of removing solar arrays and returning the property to its natural state.

The original version of the measure called for creating a state trust fund to finance restoring land used for solar farms. However, the bill’s backers decided a trust fund wasn’t necessary and money to pay for restoration activities could come through the private sector.

House Bill 300 now moves to the Georgia Senate.

This story was originally published February 12, 2024 at 4:18 PM.