Signed by Governor John Bel Edwards

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes regulations on land leases for solar farming.

Highlights:

• Establishes that the secretary is to develop and adopt, in cooperation with affected utility, agricultural, and solar industries, landowners, and consumer representatives and after one or more public hearings, regulations governing solar devices and property leases for the exploration, development, and production of solar energy (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that the above-mentioned regulations are to be designed to encourage the development and use of solar energy and to provide maximum information to the public concerning solar devices and that the regulations may include all of the following (Sec. 1):

• Standards for testing, inspection, certification, sizing, capacity, and installation of solar devices, including spacing between installations and setbacks;

• Provisions for the enforcement of the standards;

• Accreditation of laboratories to test and certify solar devices;

• Requirements for on-site inspection of solar devices, including specifying methods for inspection, to determine compliance or noncompliance with the standards;

• Requirements for submission of any data resulting from the testing and inspection of solar devices;

• Prohibitions on the sale of solar devices that do not meet minimum requirements for safety, capacity, and durability as established by the secretary;

• Dissemination of the results of the testing, inspection, and certification program to the public; and

• Minimum requirements for property leases for the exploration, development, and production of solar energy, including acreage, access, and maintenance of the property during the lease, decommissioning, and final site closure upon termination of the lease, and placement of this program within the department.

• Establishes that under no circumstances may the secretary preclude any person from developing, installing, or operating a solar device on his property for residential use (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text