Amendment #48 to H4876

Statewide Solar and Battery Recycling and Decommissioning Plan

Representatives Blais of Deerfield and Domb of Amherst move to amend the amendment by adding the following section:

“SECTION XXXX. The department of environmental protection, in consultation with the department of energy resources and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and in collaboration with a stakeholder group with representatives from the solar industry, local governments, the solid waste industry, environmentalists, recyclers, and other interested parties, shall develop a comprehensive statewide plan for the management of end-of-life photovoltaic modules and energy storage system batteries which shall include both partial refurbishing of a solar project and complete decommissioning. The department of environmental protection shall consider all of the following matters:

(1) Whether photovoltaic modules, energy storage system batteries, their materials, or other equipment used in utility-scale solar projects exhibit any of the characteristics of hazardous waste or if any such equipment is properly characterized as solid waste under State and Federal law.

(2) Preferred methods to responsibly manage end-of-life photovoltaic modules, energy storage system batteries, or the constituent materials thereof, or other equipment used in utility-scale solar projects, including the extent to which such equipment may be:

(a) reused, if not damaged or in need of repair, for a similar purpose;

(b) refurbished, if not substantially damaged, and reused for a similar purpose;

(c) recycled with recovery of materials for similar or other purposes;

(d) safely disposed of in construction and demolition or municipal solid waste landfills for material that does not exhibit any of the characteristics of hazardous waste under state or federal law; or

(e) safely disposed of in accordance with state and federal requirements governing hazardous waste for materials that exhibit any of the characteristics of hazardous waste under state or federal law.

(3) The volume of photovoltaic modules and energy storage system batteries currently in use in the State, and projections, based upon the data on life cycle identified currently on impacts that may be expected to the State's landfill capacity if landfill disposal is permitted for such equipment at end-of-life.

(4) Whether or not adequate financial assurance requirements are necessary to ensure proper decommissioning of solar projects.

(5) Infrastructure that may be needed to develop a practical, effective, and cost-effective means to collect and transport end-of-life photovoltaic modules, energy storage system batteries, and other equipment used in utility-scale solar projects for reuse, refurbishment, recycling, or disposal.

(6) Whether or not manufacturer or installer stewardship programs for the recycling of end-of-life photovoltaic modules and energy storage system batteries should be established for applications other than utility-scale solar project installations, and if so, fees that should be established for these manufacturers and installers to support the implementation of such requirements.

The department of environmental protection shall file its findings and recommendations, including recommendations for regulations and legislation, with the clerks of the house and senate and the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy no later than December 31, 2024.”

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #48 to H4876

Statewide Solar and Battery Recycling and Decommissioning Plan