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Oklahoma committee OKs bill requiring decommissioning bonds for industrial solar leases
Summary
The House Energy Committee passed House Bill 13 73 to require surety bonds and periodic independent cost estimates for industrial solar facilities that lease private land, aiming to protect landowners if developers abandon sites.
Chairman Bowles, Energy Committee chair, explained House Bill 13 73 during the committee’s hearing, saying the bill “adds statutory protections in place for lien owners that have solar facilities on their property and we're referencing industrial solar facilities.”
The bill would create a statutory decommissioning framework for industrial solar facilities that lease private land in Oklahoma, require grantees to deliver surety bonds assigned to landowners, and mandate independent cost estimates at project start and every five years to keep the bond amount current. The committee passed the bill by voice vote.
Why it matters: Committee members said Oklahoma has seen little utility-scale solar development to date but anticipates growth; supporters argued the statute will protect landowners who lack resources to negotiate detailed lease terms or hire counsel and prevent abandoned equipment being left on leased property. Chairman Bowles framed the measure as preventive policy, noting the state currently lacks solar decommissioning statutes.
Key details discussed: The bill applies to industrial solar facilities that lease land from private landowners; committee members stated there is no minimum-acreage threshold in the text. The bond amount must equal the independent estimate of removal costs; the estimate must be prepared by an independent, licensed professional engineer in Oklahoma at project start and updated at least every five years. The bill assigns the surety bond to the landowner so funds are available if a developer ceases operations.
Representative Roberts asked whether the statute includes any minimum acreage; Bowles replied, “there's no minimum acreage requirement that I'm aware of.” Representative Tedford pressed on how the required financial assurance would be calculated and who would prepare the estimate; Bowles said the bill requires an updated estimate “prepared by independent third party professional engineer licensed in the state” and that the grantee must ensure the bond matches that amount.
Action: The committee opened the roll and recorded members saying “aye” and the clerk declared “7 aye, 0 nay.” Chairman Bowles was then declared to have the bill passed out of committee.
Next steps: With committee approval, the bill moves forward to further House action per the legislative calendar.
