An Act relative to large-scale solar energy installations on agricultural or recreational land of the Commonwealth

HD 3529 requires that any large-scale solar energy installation (over 5 acres) on agricultural or recreational land in Massachusetts must be accompanied by the dedication of an equivalent amount of land for agricultural or recreational use. The bill mandates that the state commissioner certifies this replacement land before installation, recording the certification in the registry of deeds at least 30 days in advance. This directly affects solar developers and landowners seeking to install solar projects on designated farmland or recreational areas like parks and trails. The key mechanism is a land-for-land requirement to ensure the loss of agricultural or recreational use is offset by new dedicated land. The bill does not alter existing land use rules but adds this certification step for new large-scale solar projects on specific land types.