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Arkansas panelists say solar’s climate and economic benefits are clear but end-of-life recycling needs planning
Summary
Environmental advocates, solar installers and recyclers told a joint City/County & Local Affairs Committee that modern solar panels are largely recyclable and that industry, federal agencies and manufacturers already have end-of-life plans — but local recycling capacity, regulatory clarity and financing for decommissioning remain unresolved.
Glenn Hooks, policy manager for Audubon Delta, told the Senate City, County & Local Affairs Committee that solar power reduces air pollution and provides economic benefits to schools, cities and businesses while urging lawmakers to plan for panels’ end of life. “We can have both,” Hooks said, summarizing his view that clean-energy deployment and environmental protection are compatible.
Industry witnesses who followed gave specifics about how panels are handled when they leave service. Lauren Waldorf, executive director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association, said net-metering contracts and project documents increasingly include decommissioning and end-of-life management plans and noted federal and industry work on the issue, including Department of Energy and EPA efforts. “The Department of Energy has a plan. The EPA has a plan,”…
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