Bill > SB2527

This bill establishes new requirements for solar power facility agreements, which are contracts between a landowner and a "grantee" (a company, not a public utility) for installing and operating solar energy systems that generate electricity primarily for off-site use. The bill mandates that these agreements must include provisions for the grantee to remove all components of the solar power facility, except for buried lines deeper than three feet, and restore the land to a condition suitable for its previous use. Crucially, the grantee must provide financial assurance to the landowner to guarantee these removal and restoration obligations, with the required amount increasing over time, reaching the full estimated "decommissioning cost" (the cost of removal minus salvage value) by the fifteenth anniversary of the facility's operation. Acceptable forms of this financial assurance include surety bonds, letters of credit, cash, and other similar instruments. The bill also clarifies that local governments can still regulate solar facilities under their zoning authority but cannot impose removal or financial assurance requirements beyond what this act specifies. Any contract provision attempting to waive these rights or exempt the grantee from these duties is void, unless the landowner and grantee are affiliated companies. These new rules apply to agreements entered into on or after the bill's effective date of July 1, 2026, and can be voluntarily included in amendments to older agreements.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/SB/SB2527.xml