Bill > HB0016

This bill establishes new regulations for utility-scale solar power plants, defining them as commercial facilities with a generating capacity over one megawatt that primarily sell electricity. It introduces restrictions on state incentives, such as tax credits or grants, for solar power plants built on prime farmland, irrigated cropland, or certain types of non-irrigated cropland, with reduced incentives for some less fertile non-irrigated cropland and grazing land based on vegetative production, though exemptions can be recommended by conservation districts. The bill also mandates that solar power plant owners consult with wildlife agencies about potential impacts and requires a comprehensive decommissioning plan, including financial assurance, for plants permitted after May 6, 2026, to ensure proper site reclamation. Furthermore, it outlines permit application and review processes, requiring local approval for conditional use, grading, and building permits, along with site plans and the decommissioning plan, before construction can begin, with a provision that local jurisdictions cannot unreasonably withhold approval. These provisions are set to take effect on May 6, 2026.

Business and Industry, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/HB0016.html