Get the agreement the developer is relying on
Start with the signed option or lease and all amendments, maps and recorded documents you have. Ask the company to identify the provisions it believes allow batteries. Have your adviser review those provisions together with any limits on location, equipment, access or changes to the project.
An offer described as a solar lease may contain more than permission to install panels. Conversely, the company may be requesting rights that your agreement does not grant. The useful answer comes from the actual documents, rather than the project’s name or a general description of similar leases.
Ask what it needs you to sign now and why. Is the request an acknowledgement, a change to the leased area, a lease amendment or permission for an application? Get the complete document and its attachments. If the company says the new paper makes no change, ask it to show you how it compares with what you already signed.
Keep the company’s explanation with your records. Note which legal entity is making the request and whether it is the same party named in your agreement. You should be able to follow the proposed change without relying on a conversation with a representative who may later leave the project.
Do not treat a proposed approval change as permission today
As checked October 6, 2026, the General Assembly’s HB 2692 page lists referral to the House Local Government Committee as its last action. The listed text is a proposal, not an enacted approval route established by that record.
Printer’s Number 3759 proposes treating certain battery additions as accessory uses on parcels with an approved commercial solar special exception or conditional use. It includes limits involving the approved parcel and project capacity, retains safety and fire-code compliance, and discusses existing public approval obligations.
If a developer cites that bill, ask it to identify the current rule it is using and the actual approvals still needed. The proposal concerns public land-use treatment. Do not use its wording to decide what your private lease permits, whether extra rent is owed or what you must sign.
Request a current review schedule for the battery design. If the company expects a law to change, ask what happens if it does not, or if the final wording differs. Compare that uncertainty with any extension or construction deadline in the agreement.
Reference: Pennsylvania General Assembly: HB 2692 status and history, last action shown as committee referral · Pennsylvania General Assembly: proposed HB 2692, Printer’s Number 3759, battery additions to approved commercial solar sites
Mark the new work and the land that remains yours to use
Request one drawing showing the existing solar site, proposed batteries, cable routes and access. Mark the present lease boundary and any additional area requested. Ask whether the company wants a permanent right, temporary construction space or permission to enter for studies.
Include working space outside the equipment fence. Where would trucks turn or wait? Would a new gate affect a farm lane? Would drainage work cross retained ground? Ask the company to show those arrangements before you agree to a larger area.
If the battery can move during design, ask how revisions will be reviewed with you. Establish which changes require another agreement and whether additional land would change compensation. Do not leave a new footprint to be selected from several undated drawings.
Explain the uses you need to preserve. These might include access to another field, a tenant’s loading area, drainage maintenance or a future building location. Have the team identify conflicts and proposed solutions on the drawing.
| Compare these records | Question for the owner |
|---|---|
| Existing lease map and new battery drawing | Is the requested land already covered? |
| Access and cable plans | What changes outside the equipment area? |
| Current and proposed payment schedules | What would I receive for any added rights? |
| Removal plans and security documents | Who restores each part of the site? |
Want to ask about your land?
Send the location and what you know. You don’t need a project plan.
Tell us about your landAsk how the addition affects your payments
Request a comparison of the existing payment schedule and the proposed one. Does the company offer additional rent, a one-time payment or no change? Ask how each amount relates to the new rights requested and when it becomes due.
Separate payment for an added permanent area from payment for temporary construction use. Ask how a delay, a smaller final installation or a decision not to build affects the offer. If an amendment extends the overall lease, compare the added years as well as the added dollars.
A battery may have a different owner or operating arrangement from the panels. Find out which company pays you and whether your payment depends on either facility operating. Ask what happens if one part is shut down while the other continues.
Do not estimate your entitlement from an incentive announcement or the developer’s expected revenue. Have the actual agreement reviewed to establish existing obligations, then assess any new commercial proposal. Public project payments and compensation for your land are separate questions.
Keep electrical changes visible in the land discussion
Ask whether the batteries would use the solar project’s connection or need a different arrangement. Request the actual application or study reference when one exists, the design it covers and the remaining steps. Existing panels do not supply the answer for a new battery design.
Have the developer explain any new cables, transformers, switching equipment or off-site routes. Compare them with the rights it currently holds. Ask who pays for the electrical work and who obtains permission from other affected owners.
If the company needs your signature for electrical review, ask what the authorization covers and which party will be the applicant. Keep a copy of the completed form and referenced plan. An explanation of a connection should not substitute for reviewing the land amendment.
Ask how unresolved connection work affects the proposed construction date and any additional reservation period. Know whether the company wants to hold more land while studying alternatives and what happens to that land if its preferred connection cannot proceed.
Plan for the two facilities ending at different times
Ask whether the solar equipment and batteries have the same agreement end date. Could a battery amendment extend rights over the entire property after the panels are removed? Could a road or electrical route remain needed by one project after the other ends?
Have the team separate removal obligations for the panels, batteries and shared improvements. Identify who removes each item, restores the ground and pays for the work. Ask how any existing removal security would be updated and which obligations it actually covers.
Discuss access during removal. If one installation keeps operating, where would removal crews work and how would they avoid disrupting it or your retained uses? Include temporary work areas and repair obligations in the reviewed plans.
If the battery project is transferred separately, ask how responsibility stays clear. Keep current operator and payment contacts for each facility. Have your adviser check whether the proposed documents leave you relying on one company to carry out another company’s obligations.
Tell Sunland what is already on the property
Begin with your contact details and property location. Mention the solar lease or existing project and the battery proposal you are considering. Tell us whether the company is asking for a signature, more land or an extension.
You do not need to interpret the agreement or order an electrical study before making an inquiry. Approximate acreage and a parcel number are optional. If you do not know which part of the property is proposed, say that.
The initial inquiry starts a discussion of the property and next questions. It does not change an existing lease, authorize an application or commit you to a new agreement. Any proposal needs review of the actual rights, approvals, connection and commercial terms.
Questions landowners ask
Does a solar lease automatically allow battery storage?
Do not assume either answer. Have the actual signed agreement, amendments and maps reviewed for the rights granted and any limits.
Does HB 2692 mean a battery addition is already permitted?
The official record checked October 6 lists committee referral. The cited text is proposed legislation, not an enacted approval route established here.
Should I receive extra rent for a battery addition?
That depends on your existing rights and the new offer. Request a written comparison of the rights, land and payment schedule, then have the agreement reviewed.
What if the batteries remain after the solar project ends?
Ask whether the agreements allow that, which access and land rights continue, what you are paid and who handles removal and restoration.
Sources & further reading
Sources checked 2026-10-06. Local rules and program details can change. Check the requirements for the actual project.