Oklahoma 2025 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1373 Amended / Bill

Filed 02/28/2025

                     
 
HB1373 HFLR 	Page 1 
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments.  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION 
 
STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) 
 
HOUSE BILL 1373 	By: Boles of the House 
 
   and 
 
  Green of the Senate 
 
 
 
AS INTRODUCED 
 
An Act relating to commercial solar facilities; 
creating the Commercial Solar Facility 
Decommissioning Act; defining terms; making certain 
agreement provisions void; providing for certain 
injunctive relief; stating certain provision are not 
exclusive; requiring agreement contain certain 
provisions; requiring landowner make certain timely 
request; requiring certain financial assurance be 
delivered; stating acceptable forms of financial 
assurance; requiring certain amount of financial 
assurance; assigning certain costs to grantee; 
prohibiting certain cancellati on of financial 
assurance; providing for codification; and providing 
an effective date. 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 820 of Title 17, unless there is 
created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Commercial 
Solar Facility Decommissioning Act ".   
 
HB1373 HFLR 	Page 2 
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments.  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
SECTION 2.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 820.1 of Title 17, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
As used in Commercial Solar Facility Decommissioning Act: 
1.  "Generation assets" means all assets associated wi th the 
production of electricity, including generation plants, electrical 
interconnections of the generation plant to the transmission system, 
fuel contracts, fuel transportation contracts, water contracts, 
lands, surface or subsurface water rights, emissi ons-related 
allowances, and gas pipeline interconnections. 
2.  "Grantee" means a person, other than an electric utility 
who: 
a. leases property from a landowner, and 
b. operates a solar power facility on the property; 
3.  "Solar energy device" means a solar energy collector or 
solar energy system that provides for the collection of solar energy 
or the subsequent use of that energy as thermal, mechanical, or 
electrical energy; 
4.  "Solar power facility " includes: 
a. a solar energy device; and 
b. a facility or equipment, other than a facility or 
equipment owned by an electric utility, used to 
support the operation of a solar energy device, 
including an underground or aboveground electrical   
 
HB1373 HFLR 	Page 3 
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments.  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
transmission or communications line, an electric 
transformer, a battery storage facility, an energy 
storage facility, telecommunications equipment, a 
road, a meteorological tower, or a maintenance yard; 
and 
5.  "Solar power facility agreement " means a lease agreement 
between a grantee and a landowner that authorizes the grant ee to 
operate a solar power facility on the leased property. 
SECTION 3.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 820.2 of Title 17, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
The Commercial Solar Facility Decommissioning Act shall apply 
only to a solar power facility that is a generation asset as defined 
in Section 2 of this act. 
SECTION 4.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 820.3 of Title 17, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
A.  A provision of a solar power facility agreement that 
purports to waive a right or exempt a grantee from a liability or 
duty established by the Commercial Solar Facility Decommissioning 
Act is void. 
B.  A person who is harmed by a violation of the Commercial 
Solar Facility Decommissioning Act is entitled to appropriate 
injunctive relief to prevent further violation of the act.   
 
HB1373 HFLR 	Page 4 
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments.  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
 
C.  The provisions of this section are not exclusive.  The 
remedies provided in this section are in addition to any other 
procedures or remedies provided by other law. 
SECTION 5.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statute s as Section 820.4 of Title 17, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
A.  A solar power facility agreement shall provide that the 
grantee is responsible for removing the grantee 's solar power 
facilities from the landowner 's property and that the grantee shall, 
in accordance with any other applicable laws or regulations, safely: 
1.  Clear, clean, and remove from the property each solar energy 
device, transformer, and substation; 
2.  For each foundation of a solar energy device , transformer, 
or substation installed in the ground: 
a. clear, clean, and remove the foundation from the 
ground to a depth of at least three (3) feet below the 
surface grade of the land in which the foundation is 
installed, and 
b. ensure that each hole or cavity created in the ground 
by the removal is filled with soil of the same type or 
a similar type as the predominant soil found on the 
property;   
 
HB1373 HFLR 	Page 5 
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments.  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
3.  For each buried cable, including power, fiber -optic, and 
communications cables, installed in the ground: 
a. clear, clean, and remove the cable from the ground to 
a depth of at least three (3) feet below the surface 
grade of the land in which the cable is installed , and 
b. ensure that each hole or cavity created in the ground 
by the removal is filled with soil of the same type or 
a similar type as the predominant soil found on the 
property; and 
4.  Clear, clean, and remove from the property each overhead 
power or communications line installed by the grantee on the 
property at the request of the landowner . 
B.  The agreement shall provide that, at the request of the 
landowner, the grantee shall: 
1.  Clear, clean, and remove each road constructed by the 
grantee on the property; and 
2.  Ensure that each hole or cavity created in the ground by the 
removal is filled with soil of the same type or a similar type as 
the predominant soil found on the property. 
C.  The agreement shall provide that, at the request of the 
landowner, if reasonable, the grantee shall: 
1.  Remove from the property all rocks over twelve (12) inches 
in diameter excavated during the decommissioning or removal process;   
 
HB1373 HFLR 	Page 6 
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments.  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
2.  Return the property to a tillable state using scarification, 
V-rip, or disc methods, as appropriate; and 
3.  Ensure that: 
a. each hole or cavity created in the ground by the 
removal is filled with soil of the same type or a 
similar type as the predominant soil found on the 
property, and 
b. the surface is returned as near as reasonably possible 
to the same condition as before the grantee dug holes 
or cavities, including by reseeding pastureland with 
native grasses prescribed by an appropriate 
governmental agency, if any.  Noninvasive grasses 
shall be allowed when reseeding native grasses isn't 
economically feasible. 
D.  The landowner shall make a request under subsection B or C 
of this section not later than the one hundred eightieth day after 
the later of: 
1.  The date on which the solar power facility is no longer 
capable of generating electricity in commercial quantities; or 
2.  The date the landowner receives written notice of inte nt to 
decommission the solar power facility from the grantee. 
SECTION 6.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 820.5 of Title 17, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:   
 
HB1373 HFLR 	Page 7 
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments.  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
A.  A solar power facility agreement shall provide that the 
grantee obtain and deliver to the landowner evidence of financial 
assurance that conforms to the requirements of this section to 
secure the performance of the grantee 's obligation to remove the 
grantee's solar power facilities located on the landowner 's property 
as described by Section 5 of this act.  Acceptable forms of 
financial assurance include a parent company guaranty with a minimum 
investment grade credit rating for the parent comp any issued by a 
major domestic credit rating agency, a letter of credit, a bond, or 
another form of financial assurance reasonably acceptable to the 
landowner. 
B.  The amount of the financial assurance must be at least equal 
to the estimated amount by whic h the cost of removing the solar 
power facilities from the landowner 's property and restoring the 
property to as near as reasonably possible the condition of the 
property as of the date the agreement begins exceeds the salvage 
value of the solar power faci lities, less any portion of the value 
of the solar power facilities pledged to secure outstanding debt. 
C.  The agreement shall provide that: 
1.  The estimated cost of removing the solar power facilities 
from the landowner's property and restoring the prop erty to as near 
as reasonably possible the condition of the property as of the date 
the agreement begins and the estimated salvage value of the solar   
 
HB1373 HFLR 	Page 8 
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments.  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
power facilities must be determined by an independent, third -party 
professional engineer licensed in this state; 
2.  The grantee shall deliver to the landowner an updated 
estimate, prepared by an independent, third -party professional 
engineer licensed in this state, of the cost of removal and the 
salvage value: 
a. on or before the tenth anniversary of the comm ercial 
operations date of the solar power facilities; and 
b. at least once every five (5) years after the 
commercial operations date of the solar power 
facilities for the remainder of the term of the 
agreement; and 
3.  The grantee is responsible for ensuri ng that the amount of 
the financial assurance remains sufficient to cover the amount 
required by subsection B of this section, consistent with the 
estimates required by this subsection. 
D.  The grantee is responsible for the costs of obtaining 
financial assurance described by this section and costs of 
determining the estimated removal costs and salvage value. 
E.  The agreement must provide that the grantee shall deliver 
the financial assurance not later than the earlier of: 
1.  The date the solar power faci lity agreement is terminated; 
or   
 
HB1373 HFLR 	Page 9 
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments.  1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
2. The twentieth anniversary of the commercial operations date 
of the solar power facilities located on the landowner 's leased 
property. 
F.  For purposes of this section, "commercial operations date " 
means the date on whic h the solar power facilities are approved for 
participation in market operations by a regional transmission 
organization and does not include the generation of electrical 
energy or other operations conducted before that date for purposes 
of maintenance and testing. 
G.  The grantee may not cancel financial assurance before the 
date the grantee has completed the grantee 's obligation to remove 
the grantee's solar power facilities located on the landowner 's 
property in the manner provided by this act, unless the grantee 
provides the landowner with replacement financial assurance at the 
time of or before the cancellation.  In the event of a transfer of 
ownership of the grantee 's solar power facilities, the financial 
security provided by the grantee shall remain i n place until the 
date evidence of financial security meeting the requirements of this 
act is provided to the landowner. 
SECTION 7.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2025. 
 
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES 
OVERSIGHT, dated 02/26/2025 – DO PASS.