MAINE PUBLIC • November 1, 2021
Some 3,185 installations are in place across Maine, according to the Solar Energies Industry Association. In Penobscot County, Versant Power has a raft of pending requests from developers to connect proposed solar projects to the grid. It’s an industry that one energy lawyer called “booming.” But local governments have started to become concerned about the eventual costs of decommissioning the solar panels and a lack of policies in place governing that process. In June, the state Legislature passed a law requiring developers to obtain approval from the Department of Environmental Protection for all projects that are 3 or more acres and show plans and funding for decommissioning panels. The law went into effect Oct. 18, and applies to projects for which construction started or ownership changed after Oct. 1.