Bills to put a one-year moratorium on new solar farms in the state and give county governments more authority over their development are pending in the Alabama Legislature.
Senate Bill 354 by Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Range, and its companion House Bill 617, by Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, are each one page long.
If enacted, the law would take effect immediately after being signed by the governor and prohibit the development of any solar power facility not currently operating or under construction for one year.
The legislation defines a solar power facility as a large-scale, ground-mounted installation of photovoltaic panels designed to generate electricity for use off-site or sale to a third party. The Senate version was approved by a committee last week; the House version is expected to receive a vote today in the Transportation, Utilities, and Infrastructure Committee.
Albritton told the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee he’s had multiple large-track solar farm proposals in his district. That includes a planned 4,500-acre development in Stockton in Baldwin County. The property is currently timberland and wetlands.
The project is being built to offset the power needs of a forthcoming Meta data center in Montgomery , al.com previously reported. Meta is the parent company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, among others.
“The public is very concerned with what the reclamation requirements are, if any,” Albritton said. “They’re concerned about any ecological matters that come into play.”
He said the bill would put a moratorium on the projects until “we can find and get some answers as to those policies and procedures.”
The developer, Silicon Ranch, says on its website the project will have a 40-year lifespan. It will manage 2,500 acres in long-term conservation and convert the remaining 2,000 acres to pastureland that will host energy infrastructure and a working sheep ranch.
After 40 years, the development will either be updated with new equipment or decommissioned.
In a public hearing for the Senate bill last week, John Dodd of Energy Alabama said the clean energy advocacy group supports reasonable regulation, but Albritton’s bill does something different.
“(Senate Bill 354) is not targeted oversight— that’s effectively hitting the kill switch on an entire industry overnight,” Dodd said. “In a state that prides itself on being pro-business and welcoming to investment, that sends a troubling signal.
“I understand the frustration that led to this bill. The situation in Stockton raises legitimate concerns. Residents there felt blindsided when a project moved forward quickly through the Public Service Commission without meaningful public awareness or input. And Stockton, with its sensitive wetlands and protected species, is exactly the type of place where careful review should happen. But the problem there wasn’t solar energy. The problem was the process.”
Dodd said the process should include improved notice requirements and stronger environmental reviews.”
Simpson on Monday told Alabama Daily News people in his region have concerns about projects the size of Silicon Ranch’s and its potential environmental effects, including stormwater runoff into the delta.
“This is one of those things that has popped up out of nowhere, and not a lot of people know about what was going on.”
The legislation isn’t meant to permanently stop solar farms, Simpson said.
“(But) let’s make sure that we know exactly what this is before we commit to it and before this is permitted,” he said. “… I don’t believe in taking people’s property rights away, but we’re talking about something that may have a lasting impact on this region for quite some time.”
Separately, Albritton and Simpson are also sponsoring Senate Bill 358 and House Bill 618. They apply to Baldwin and Mobile counties and allow their county commissions to adopt “standards, specifications, criteria, and conditions relating to permitting, construction, placement, or operation of solar farms in the unincorporated areas of the county.”
Those bills were introduced last week. Simpson’s version is also expected to get a committee vote today.
The committee approved an amendment by Sen. Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro, that says the one-year moratorium will not apply to any area of the state served by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
There are eight legislative days pending in this session.
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