The Oklahoma House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 1373, also known as the Commercial Solar Facility Decommissioning Act, which aims to establish regulations for the removal of solar infrastructure by solar companies. Authored by state Representative Brad Boles, the bill would ensure that landowners hosting industrial solar facilities are protected and not left with financial and logistical challenges in the event of company closure or non-compliance with decommissioning responsibilities. The bill introduces new requirements for solar companies, such as providing financial assurance to cover removal and land restoration costs and requiring detailed decommissioning plans in facility agreements. The bill also places responsibility for these expenses on facility operators rather than landowners and prohibits contractual provisions exempting operators from decommissioning obligations. The bill passed both the House Energy Committee and the Energy & Natural Resources Oversight Committee unanimously before securing full House approval. The measure will now move to the state Senate for further consideration. If passed and signed into law, the bill is set to take effect on November 1. The breakdown of votes in the House Committees showed bipartisan support for the bill, with both Republicans and Democrats voting in favor of advancing the legislation for floor consideration.
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