As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
(a) “City” means any city or city and county.
(b) “Landowner” includes a lessee or trustee, if the expiration of the lease or trust occurs at a time later than the expiration of the restriction of the use of the land to photovoltaic solar facilities or any extension of the restriction.
(c) “Solar-use easement” means any right or interest acquired by a county, or city in perpetuity, for a term of years, or annually self-renewing as provided in Section 51191.2, in a parcel or parcels determined by the Department of Conservation pursuant to Section 51191 to be eligible, where the deed or other instrument granting the right or interest imposes restrictions that, through limitation of future use, will effectively restrict the use of the land to photovoltaic solar facilities for the purpose of providing for the collection and distribution of solar energy for the generation of electricity, and any other incidental or subordinate agricultural, open-space uses, or other alternative renewable energy facilities. A solar-use easement shall not permit any land located in the easement to be used for any other use allowed in commercial, industrial, or residential zones. A solar-use easement shall contain a covenant with the county, or city running with the land, either in perpetuity or for a term of years, that the landowner shall not construct or permit the construction of improvements except those for which the right is expressly reserved in the instrument provided that those reservations would not be inconsistent with the purposes of this chapter and which would not be incompatible with the sole use of the property for solar photovoltaic facilities.
(Added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 596, Sec. 8. (SB 618) Effective January 1, 2012.)