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Chester planner seeks bond requirements for large solar and battery projects to cover decommissioning
Summary
Planner told the board that large solar farms and battery-storage sites should carry bonds or financial security to guarantee removal and reclamation, warning that inadequate bond calculations have left municipalities with abandoned arrays in other towns.
At the work session the planner reviewed redlines to the town's solar code and urged the board to require decommissioning bonds or financial assurance for large-scale solar and battery-storage projects.
She said the town already has bond language in some agreements but that typical calculations can be inadequate, failing to cover panel removal and recycling costs. She recommended adopting clear bond-calculation guidelines, requiring bonds on large arrays, and including inflation or renewal-period adjustments so the security remains adequate over the project lifetime.
The planner cautioned that if bonds are inadequate removal costs may fall back on the property owner or the town, and that battery storage raises additional hazardous-waste and cleanup considerations. She asked the board whether it wanted a removal bond requirement and offered to draft guidelines for consideration.
