Committee approves bill to require recycling of utility-scale solar panels

The Natural Resources & Environment Committee advanced House Bill 320 on a voice vote after a presentation from Representative Trey Kelly, who said the bill would require owners and operators of solar power facilities to recycle photovoltaic panels and prohibit discarding them in landfills.

Why it matters: Kelly told the committee that Georgia now has about 7,300 megawatts of solar capacity and expects to add about 3,600 megawatts over the next five years, figures he used to illustrate the scale of future end-of-life panel disposal. "It takes 3,500 panels to generate 1 megawatt of solar," Kelly said, and he described the potential waste tonnage and the economic opportunity from panel recycling. "By recycling these solar panels, ... it gives our solar panel manufacturers ... an opportunity to work with those solar recyclers," he said.

During the presentation, Kelly described the bill's core requirements and enforcement approach. He said the bill places disposal responsibility on the owner or operator of a solar power facility rather than the landowner when the two are distinct: "it is clearly on the person who actually owns the solar power facility, not the landowner they may be leasing," Kelly said. The bill also establishes a civil penalty calculated per panel; Kelly said the draft sets a per-panel penalty designed to remove any financial incentive to landfill panels and described the committee's chosen level as intended to be "reasonable, and not excessively punitive." When pressed on the apparent low dollar amount per panel, Kelly said the intent was to make landfill disposal more expensive than available recycling options and that he was open to committee input.

Kelly framed the measure as both an environmental and an economic bill, citing existing and proposed recycling businesses and manufacturers in Georgia. He named companies in his district that he said are involved in recycling and panel manufacturing and described an ecosystem he expects to grow as recycling capacity expands.

Committee action: After brief discussion and questions from members and attendees, a committee member moved to pass the bill; the chair called for the voice vote. "All those in favor, please signify by saying aye," the chair said. Committee members responded "Aye." The chair then asked if any were opposed; none voiced opposition and the chair said Representative Kelly "you have your bill." The committee recorded the advancement by voice vote; no roll-call tally was given in the transcript.

What the record shows and what remains unspecified: The transcript records a unanimous voice vote advancing the bill but does not provide a roll-call tally or identify a formal mover and seconder by name. The bill's text as discussed places responsibility on facility owners/operators and establishes a per-panel civil penalty; the exact per-panel dollar amount and the bill's final penalty mechanics were discussed as draft details and may be revised in later hearings.

Next steps: Committee members noted follow-up items and request for additional input on penalty levels and market capacity for recycling. The committee had earlier noted a separate bill, HB 351, would be held for an additional hearing.