SB00316 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE TESTING OF SOILS AT CERTAIN SOLAR FACILITIES.

Energy

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Environment Committee
Last action: 2026-04-14
Official status: Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary mentions biennial testing by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, but the detailed bill text specifies tests conducted by applicants/owners before permitting and two years after construction. The explanation follows the specific requirements in the bill text.

Soil Testing Rules for Large Solar Facilities

This law requires applicants and owners of solar facilities with a capacity of two megawatts or more to conduct soil tests before construction begins and again at least two years after the facility is built.

What This Bill Does

Requires a soil test at proposed sites for solar photovoltaic facilities with a capacity of two megawatts or more.
Mandates that tests check for contaminants, including degraded heavy metals and toxic substances such as cadmium, lead, arsenic, and zinc.
Directs the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to set the rules and requirements for how these tests are done.
Requires applicants or petitioners to submit test results to the Siting Council and the department before a certificate or ruling is issued.
Orders facility owners or operators to run a second soil test no earlier than two years after construction is finished.

Who It Names or Affects

Applicants seeking certificates for solar photovoltaic facilities of two megawatts or larger
Petitioners asking for declaratory rulings on large solar projects
Owners and operators of these facilities once they are built

Terms To Know

Solar photovoltaic facility: A solar power project with a capacity of two megawatts or more.
Siting Council: The state group that reviews applications and issues certificates for energy facilities.

Limits and Unknowns

This law only applies to solar projects with a capacity of two megawatts or more.
The text does not say what happens if the soil tests show high levels of contaminants.
The cost of all required soil tests must be paid by the applicant, petitioner, owner, or operator.

Bill History

2026-04-14 LCO
Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office
2026-04-14 LCO
Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
2026-04-14 Connecticut General Assembly
No New File by Committee on Appropriations
2026-04-14 Connecticut General Assembly
Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
2026-04-13 APP
Joint Favorable
2026-04-08 Connecticut General Assembly
Immediate Transmittal to Committee on Appropriations
2026-03-30 LCO
Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
2026-03-30 Connecticut General Assembly
Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
2026-03-30 Connecticut General Assembly
Senate Calendar Number 175
2026-03-30 LCO
File Number 220
2026-03-23 LCO
Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/30/26 12:00 PM
2026-03-13 ENV
Joint Favorable Substitute
2026-03-13 LCO
Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office
2026-02-27 Connecticut General Assembly
Public Hearing 03/04
2026-02-26 Connecticut General Assembly
Referred to Joint Committee on Environment

Official Summary Text

To require the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to conduct soil testing on a biennial basis at utility-scale solar arrays in the state.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

LCO 1 of 2

General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 316
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE TESTING OF SOILS AT CERTAIN SOLAR
FACILITIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) ( Effective October 1, 2026 ) Notwithstanding any 1
provision of chapter 277a of the general statutes, any applicant for a 2
certificate, or petitioner for a declaratory ruling, pursuant to section 16-3
50k of the general statutes, for a solar photovoltaic facility with a 4
capacity of two or more megawatts shall cause a soil test to be conducted 5
at the proposed location for such facility to determine the presence of 6
contaminants, including, but not limited to, degraded heavy metals and 7
toxic substances such as cadmium, lead, arsenic and zinc. The 8
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall prescribe the 9
parameters and requirements of such soil test and the results of such soil 10
test shall be submitted by the applicant or petitioner, as applicable, to 11
the Siting Council and to the Department of Energy and Environmental 12
Protection prior to the issuance of any such certificate or declaratory 13
ruling and in accordance with any procedures established by the Siting 14
Council and department for submission of such soil test results. Not 15
earlier than two years after the construction of any such facility, the 16
owner or operator of such facility shall cause a second such soil test to 17
be conducted at the location of such facility. Such second soil test shall 18
determine the presence of the same contaminants tested for in 19
Substitute Bill No. 316

LCO 2 of 2

connection with the application for a certificate or petition for a 20
declaratory ruling for such facility, as applicable. Such second soil test 21
shall be conducted in accordance with the parameters and requirements 22
prescribed by the department for such second soil test. The results of 23
such second soil test shall be submitted by the owner or operator of such 24
facility to the Siting Council and the department in accordance with any 25
procedures established by the Siting Council and the department for the 26
submission of such second soil test results. The cost of any soil test 27
conducted pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be assumed 28
by such respective applicant, petitioner, owner or operator. 29
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 New section

ENV Joint Favorable Subst.
APP Joint Favorable