50 States of Solar Decommissioning Snapshot: Adoption of Solar Decommissioning Policies Grows Across Southeastern States in 2024

Raleigh, NC (Jan. 15, 2025) — The NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) released the annual update to its solar decommissioning tracking snapshot report today, entitled “The 50 States of Solar Decommissioning: 2024 Snapshot.” The report provides a comprehensive review of the state solar decommissioning policy landscape as of the conclusion of 2024, including state legislative updates pertaining to decommissioning planning and financial assurance. 

“As stakeholder concerns grow due to more and more large-scale solar projects nearing their end-of-life stage, state policymakers and regulators are exercising the precautionary principle by taking notice and responding with comprehensive decommissioning and financial assurance requirements,” said Justin Lindemann, Senior Policy Analyst at NCCETC and co-author of the report.

Statewide Solar Decommissioning Policies (as of December 2024)

The 2024 snapshot finds that 20 states have a statewide policy, 11 states have a statewide/local hybrid policy, 1 state has a statewide optional policy, and 1 state provides an official model template that local governments may adopt (see figure above). More than a dozen states had legislative actions related to solar decommissioning in 2024, with the Southeast showing significant activity in this area, as it did in 2023.

The report finds several decommissioning policy trends, including that few statewide policies expressly include technical assistance for local governments and owners/developers going through the decommissioning process; the typical project sizes covered are large-scale projects; some statewide policies explicitly incorporate co-located energy storage systems as part of the decommissioning requirements; and several states have additional requirements in place in case of project abandonment.

The report notes significant policy developments in 2024:

  • Georgia enacted new statewide solar decommissioning requirements for companies leasing property for solar farms. New or renewed solar power facility agreements must stipulate various decommissioning responsibilities that the operator/lessee must comply with once the lease has been terminated. Requirements also include financial assurance that must be submitted once every five years.
  • South Carolina’s General Assembly approved a new statewide solar decommissioning regulation for new and existing projects that occupy more than 13 acres. Requirements include a decommissioning plan and financial assurance. Local governments are also allowed to enforce stricter assurance ordinances.
  • Developers of ground-mounted solar projects in Rhode Island must now submit a decommissioning plan and a cost estimate. Municipalities may also require the developer to post a performance bond to cover costs. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management must provide technical assistance to municipalities and developers going through decommissioning plan development.
  • The Colorado Energy Office has been directed to submit a report by the end of September 2025. The report must include an analysis of decommissioning related to certain ground-installed commercial solar projects with a capacity of at least 5 MW, among other renewable energy projects.
  • Tennessee significantly lowered its threshold for solar projects that must follow decommissioning requirements.

“Decommissioning rule developments continue to focus largely on utility-scale multi-acre projects,” noted Vincent Potter, Project Manager at NCCETC. “Notably, new requirements in South Carolina apply to both existing and new projects, instead of only new projects.”

VIEW THE 2024 SNAPSHOT REPORT →

View other 50 States Reports – Solar, Grid Modernization, Electric Vehicles and Power Decarbonization

Media Contact: Shannon Helm, 919-423-8340, shannon_helm@ncsu.edu

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