Texas House bill by Rep. Lambert sets recycling rules for renewable energy facilities

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Stan Lambert aims to regulate recycling practices at facilities handling wind turbines, solar devices, and battery storage systems, promoting environmental accountability and compliance, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 58 Democrats and 87 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Stan Lambert introduced the bill in the Texas House on Monday, Feb. 24, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Lambert graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1975 with a BS.

Lambert, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 71st House district, replacing previous state representative Susan King.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to recycling of certain renewable energy components; authorizing an administrative penalty’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill establishes regulations for recycling facilities handling renewable energy components such as wind turbines, solar devices, and battery storage systems. Facility owners must submit annual reports to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality detailing unrecycled components, recycling timelines, and cost estimates prepared by independent engineers. They must provide financial assurance equal to 125% of the estimated recycling costs, with options including a parent company guaranty, letter of credit, or bond. The commission is tasked with listing compliant facilities on its website. Non-compliance can result in administrative penalties up to $500 per day. The bill is effective Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Drew Darby (Republican – District 72) and Rep. Penny Morales Shaw (Democrat – District 148), along with two other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Monday, May 19, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday, May 29.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.