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Members push to require removal of underground cables during solar decommissioning
Summary
Committee members urged the draft be changed so that developers must remove underground cables when a solar site is decommissioned, not simply cut and abandon them; staff warned removal increases decommissioning costs but many members favored removal to avoid future nuisance and safety issues.
Members debated whether decommissioning should include full removal of underground cables or allow developers to cut cables and leave them buried. The Chair and several members said they preferred requiring removal to prevent future nuisance and safety problems; one member said, "Let's take it out if that's okay with everybody."
Staff cautioned that requiring full removal raises decommissioning costs and could affect developer willingness to build, but several committee members said the long-term benefit to landowners and road safety justified the extra cost. The committee asked staff to incorporate clearer language on underground wiring removal into the draft before forwarding it to the planning commission and full council.
