SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 864, authored by Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego), to advance responsible recycling and management of end-of-life solar photovoltaic panels in California.
AB 864 directs the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to convene public workshops and evaluate whether federal hazardous-material reclamation standards could provide an alternative pathway for managing and recycling end-of-life solar panels. Based on that evaluation, DTSC may adopt those standards through regulation.
“California has invested heavily in building a clean energy future, and we need to be just as thoughtful about what happens to solar panels at the end of their useful life,” said Assemblymember Chris Ward. “AB 864 moves us toward a smarter, more sustainable recycling system that can recover valuable materials, reduce unnecessary waste, and support California’s circular economy.”
Under AB 864, DTSC must hold stakeholder workshops by July 1, 2028, and complete its evaluation by July 1, 2029, creating a public process to determine whether these federal standards can safely improve California’s approach to end-of-life solar panels.