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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah ties solar power plant tax incentives to land quality and requires local permits and decommissioning plans
Last action · March 25, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Colin Jack and 2 others
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What This Bill Does
Starting May 6, 2026, utility-scale solar power plants built on prime farmland, irrigated cropland, or productive grazing land are ineligible for state financial incentives, while those on lower-productivity land may receive partial incentives. The law also requires owners to obtain local conditional use, grading, and building permits, submit site and decommissioning plans backed by financial assurance, and consult with wildlife agencies.
Changes financial eligibility for renewable energy development across agricultural and grazing lands, setting specific soil and productivity thresholds for state tax credits and grants while shifting decommissioning enforcement and financial bonding to local jurisdictions.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Solar power plant owners and operators
Must comply with new land-based incentive restrictions, wildlife consultation rules, mandatory decommissioning plans, and financial assurance requirements.
Agricultural landowners
Subject to state incentive reductions if leasing or selling prime or productive farmland and grazing land for utility-scale solar development.
Local jurisdictions in Utah
Responsible for reviewing and approving site development plans, issuing conditional use, grading, and building permits, and holding decommissioning financial assurance.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which solar power plants are disqualified from receiving state tax credits and grants?
What are the financial assurance requirements for decommissioning a solar facility?
Are existing solar projects exempt from these new restrictions?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
56 actions- Mar 25, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 16, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 16, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 12, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 50 earlier actions
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ concurs with Senate amendment
- Feb 19, 2026HouseHouse/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Feb 19, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 18, 2026SenateSenate/ to House with amendments
- Feb 18, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 18, 2026SenateSenate/ substituted
- Feb 11, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0016S02
- Feb 10, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0016S02
- Feb 9, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0016S01
- Feb 8, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0016S01
- Feb 6, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0016S02
- Feb 6, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0016S02
- Feb 5, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 3rd Reading Calendar table
- Feb 5, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Feb 5, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Feb 5, 2026SenateSenate/ substituted
- Feb 5, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0016S01
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0016S01
- Feb 2, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 2, 2026SenateSenate/ comm rpt/ amended
- Jan 30, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 30, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Amendment Recommendation
- Jan 28, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Jan 26, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 23, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Jan 23, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Jan 23, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Jan 23, 2026HouseHouse/ floor amendment
- Jan 23, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Jan 22, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Jan 22, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Jan 21, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 20, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Dec 4, 2025ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0016
- Dec 4, 2025Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Dec 4, 2025Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
- Sep 15, 2025Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0016
- Sep 2, 2025Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0016
- Sep 2, 2025Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0016
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
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