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Hamlin proposal tightens solar decommissioning: town requires full removal and a bond
Summary
In proposed Local Law No. 1-2026 the town board tightened decommissioning language so operators must remove all equipment and provide a bond; the board said bonds would be reviewed periodically and intended to cover removal costs if an operator abandons a site.
The town board emphasized changes to decommissioning rules in the proposed local law, saying operators would be required to remove all equipment at the end of a project's life and file a decommissioning plan with a bond to ensure removal if the operator defaults.
When asked whether removal meant cutting panels at ground level and leaving stakes, the chair replied, "They have to leave take everything out of the ground. Everything has to come out that they put in the ground." The board also said decommissioning plans will be reviewed periodically so bond amounts can be adjusted to match likely removal costs.
The chair described the bond as being held by the town and in the range of "tens or hundreds of thousands" to provide funds for removal if a company were to declare bankruptcy and abandon a site. The board said these provisions are intended to protect landowners and the town from bearing cleanup costs.
