Clean Power Decommissioning

Clean power projects—such as wind, solar, and energy storage—are designed with a clear end‑of‑life plan from the start. Developers are required to remove equipment and restore the land once a project reaches the end of its operational life, a process known as decommissioning. These plans are created during permitting and ensure landowners and host communities are never responsible for cleanup costs.

Decommissioning includes removing infrastructure, restoring the site to a usable condition, and responsibly managing materials. Most project components can be recycled or reused, significantly reducing waste and costs. Financial assurances are put in place over the life of a project to guarantee decommissioning obligations are fully covered, providing long‑term certainty for communities and landowners.

Key takeaways on clean power decomissioning:

• Decommissioning plans are required during project permitting or before construction begins
• Developers—not landowners or communities—pay all decommissioning costs
• Financial assurance is posted over time to cover removal and land restoration
• Sites are restored to a condition similar to pre‑construction use
• 80–95% of wind, solar, and battery storage materials can be recycled
• Projects may also be repowered with newer technology instead of being fully removed

Resource updated May 5, 2026