Bill > HB0241

This bill establishes comprehensive regulations for utility-scale solar power plants in Utah, defining a solar power plant as a commercial facility with over one megawatt of generating capacity that converts sunlight into electricity for wholesale or retail sales. The bill introduces strict eligibility criteria for state incentives based on land use, limiting or prohibiting financial support for solar projects located on prime farmland, irrigated cropland, or high-quality grazing land. Solar power plant owners must now consult with wildlife authorities about potential environmental impacts, create detailed decommissioning and reclamation plans with financial assurances, and obtain multiple local permits before construction. The legislation requires site plans to specify project details like structures, setbacks, access routes, and vegetation changes, and mandates a comprehensive decommissioning strategy that includes removing infrastructure to a depth of four feet and restoring vegetation and soil. Projects in an interconnection queue or with existing power agreements prior to January 1, 2025, are exempt from these new requirements. The bill is designed to balance renewable energy development with environmental and agricultural land preservation, and will take effect on May 7, 2025.

Business and Industry, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/HB0241.html