Once-through cooling policy: powerplants.

Existing law establishes the State Water Resources Control Board within the California Environmental Protection Agency with specified duties relating to, among other things, administering water rights, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and the California Safe Drinking Water Act. The state board has adopted a statewide policy on the use of the coastal and estuarine waters for powerplant cooling, referred to as the once-through cooling policy, as described. This bill would prohibit the state board from granting an operator of a powerplant any extension of time to comply with the once-through cooling policy if the city or county that has jurisdiction over the site of the powerplant formally adopts a resolution objecting to the extension and a specified advisory committee convened by the state board determines that the extension is not necessary to ensure electricity reliability.