Energy (Solar)

Senate Bill 327 proposes to prohibit the use of protected farmland for commercial solar facilities. It amends existing law to prevent the amendment of development rights agreements, which are typically used to preserve farmland and open space, to allow for the installation and operation of solar facilities. This means that, after the bill's effective date, land enrolled in these agreements can no longer be converted for solar energy generation, regardless of conditions for environmental protection or eventual return to agricultural use.

House Bill 4028 proposes to eliminate specific state-level provisions regarding the zoning and siting of large-scale solar, wind, and energy storage facilities. The bill achieves this by repealing Part 8 of the Clean and Renewable Energy and Energy Waste Reduction Act (2008 PA 295). This action would remove state authority over the certification and regulation of such facilities, effectively returning primary zoning control to local governments. It also amends the title of the existing act to reflect these changes.