Pennsylvania passes legislation detailing solar decommissioning protocol
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed Senate Bill 349 into law, setting a statewide standard for decommissioning end-of-life ground mounted solar projects, and subsequently resetting the land used for the site.
Officially, the new law amends the existing Title 27 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, which details environmental resources. The law aims to make solar developers, rather than landowners, the party responsible for management of the solar decommissioning process.
The new law also requires that full decommissioning plans be included in land leasing agreements between the landowners themselves and the solar project developers. Developers must provide decommissioning details at some point within 30 days of starting construction, and those plans must be updated at least once every five years.
The original bill was sponsored by Republican State Sen. Gene Yaw, and received bipartisan support, including a total of ten Republican co-sponsors throughout its lifetime. Upon its introduction in early 2025, Yaw’s office called the bill “a critical step toward balancing the growth of renewable energy with the long-term interests of Pennsylvania’s farm families.”
“This bill provides uniformity and certainty statewide for solar generation facilities and landowners, which are often multi-generational,” Yaw said following the bill’s introduction last year. “It is important that Pennsylvania offers a regulatory framework to ensure these facilities are safely and appropriately retired.”
Industry reactions
The bill’s signing has received praise from Tim Pawlenty, former Minnesota Governor and current president of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
“This is a bipartisan win for energy affordability, economic strength, and supporting landowners in Pennsylvania,” Pawlenty says. “Senate Bill 349 provides clear expectations for developers and landowners while ensuring developers are responsible for meeting state requirements. The solar and storage industry applauds Governor Shapiro, Senator Yaw, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for delivering this common-sense solution for Pennsylvania.”
The new law requires that solar projects be completely torn down and removed, with the exception of utility-owned equipment installed with the project.
After decommissioning and removal, the land the project once sat on must be restored to “a condition reasonably similar to the property’s condition before the commencement of construction.” This may include taking measures like replacing topsoil at the site. Any agricultural land used must be reseeded, and gravel paths and access roads must be removed, unless the developer requests in writing for those to stay.
