Texas House passes bill to require recycling of retired solar, wind projects

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The Texas House of Representatives has passed a significant bill, HB 3228, mandating that solar and wind projects recycle their components at the end of their lifecycle. This legislation requires renewable energy companies to ensure that all recyclable components are processed accordingly and that non-recyclable parts are disposed of properly. The bill was introduced by Rep. Stan Lambert (R) in response to past failures in the wind industry, specifically a situation where a recycling facility did not fulfill its commitment to recycle 5,000 wind turbine blades for General Electric. Additionally, HB 3229 sets forth reporting and financial assurance requirements for recycling facilities.

Currently, Texas law mandates the full decommissioning of solar and wind projects, including land restoration. The new bill enhances these requirements by obligating projects to provide landowners with an estimated cost for the removal and recycling of project components. The bill has garnered unanimous support in the House committee and is now being reviewed by the Senate. As Texas is poised to lead the nation in solar growth over the next five years, this recycling mandate represents a significant step forward for environmental sustainability in the renewable energy sector.