AB 615: Power facilities: emergency response and action plans. - California

05/05/25 - Amended Assembly → 07/14/25 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Jul 14, 2025

MODERATE

The Senate amendment to AB 615 restores application requirements that the Assembly version had removed from Section 25520 of the Public Resources Code, reorganizes the energy storage emergency response plan provisions into a new code section (25545.21), and adds an entirely new section (25545.22) mandating that energy storage facilities applying after January 1, 2026 must comply with setback requirements at least as protective as the latest NFPA 855 standard. Two additional coauthors were added, signaling broader legislative support.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from amending one section and adding one new section to amending one section and adding three new sections. The Senate version also restored previously removed application requirements for transmission line and thermal powerplant certifications, broadening the practical impact of the bill on what applicants must submit.

REQUIREMENT

New Section 25545.22 requires the commission to ensure that energy storage facilities meeting specific criteria (paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 25545) that submit applications after January 1, 2026 comply with setback requirements at least as protective as the most recently published edition of NFPA 855.

SCOPE

Section 25520 was restored to include detailed application requirements (subsections c through f) covering site information, geological and ecological data, transmission line descriptions, routing maps, and environmental impact descriptions that the Assembly version had removed.

Two coauthors were added: Assembly Member Dixon and Senator Strickland, indicating the bill gained additional legislative sponsorship during its Senate amendment.

DEFINITION

New Section 25545.21 was added containing the emergency response and action plan requirements for energy storage systems, including mandatory feedback from local emergency management agencies on NFPA 855 setback compliance and supplemental first responder capabilities.

TECHNICAL

The emergency response plan provisions previously located in Section 22545.17 were reorganized into Section 25545.21, with Section 22545.17 left as a placeholder. A clarification was added in both sections stating they do not alter PUC authority over rates, services, or safety practices.

07/14/25 - Amended Senate → 09/08/25 - Enrolled · 2 edits · Sep 8, 2025

MINOR

The enrolled version of AB 615 makes two substantive changes from the amended Senate version: it removes the requirement that power facility applications include a detailed description of electric transmission lines (cost, routing map, route justification, and preliminary environmental effects), and it simplifies the feedback requirement for energy storage system applications by removing specific references to NFPA 855 compliance and supplemental first responder capabilities from what local emergency management agencies must analyze. The bill otherwise retains its core purpose of requiring emergency response and action plans for power facilities and energy storage systems.

REQUIREMENT

Section 25520 no longer requires applications to include a description of electric transmission lines, including estimated cost, a map of the proposed routing showing rights-of-way near settled areas, parks, recreational and scenic areas, existing transmission lines within one mile, justification for the route, and a preliminary environmental effects description.

Section 25545.21(b) was simplified: the requirement that local emergency management agency feedback specifically address whether the facility requires supplemental first responder capabilities and meets NFPA 855 setback standards was removed. The enrolled version only requires general 'analysis and feedback from a local emergency management agency,' with an optional note that feedback may include analysis of whether greater setbacks would be recommended.

09/08/25 - Enrolled → AB615 · 1 edit

MINOR

This diff represents a change in document format rather than a change in legislative content. The 'from' version is the formal enrolled bill document with official headers, signature lines, and chapter numbering, while the 'to' version is a web page rendering of the same bill text from the California Legislature website, complete with navigation elements and metadata. The substantive policy provisions are identical in both versions.

TECHNICAL

The document was reformatted from a formal enrolled legislative document (with official headers, Governor's receipt line, chapter number, and signature blocks) to a web page layout (with site navigation, search tools, bill metadata, and version history). No policy content was changed.

04/22/25 - Amended Assembly → 05/05/25 - Amended Assembly · 3 edits · May 5, 2025

MINOR

The May 5 amendment to AB 615 narrows the scope of emergency response and action plan requirements by removing the NFPA 855 setback analysis requirement from general power facility applications (Section 25520) and adding an 'as applicable' qualifier to that same requirement for energy storage systems (Section 22545.17). This makes the fire safety setback analysis conditional rather than mandatory, potentially reducing the burden on applicants while keeping the requirement available where relevant.

Scope change

The NFPA 855 setback analysis requirement was narrowed from applying to all power facility applications (Section 25520) to only energy storage system applications (Section 22545.17), and even there it is now qualified by 'as applicable,' making it discretionary rather than universal.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement in Section 25520 that emergency response and action plans for all power facilities include analysis and feedback from local emergency management agencies regarding NFPA 855 Standard setback compliance was removed. This provision is now limited to energy storage systems only under Section 22545.17.

In Section 22545.17(b), the phrase 'as applicable' was added after the reference to NFPA 855 Standard setbacks, making the requirement for local emergency management agency feedback on setback compliance conditional rather than mandatory for all energy storage system applications.

TECHNICAL

An empty subsection (3) under Section 25520 was removed, which had been a placeholder with no content in the prior version.

02/13/25 - Introduced → 04/22/25 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Apr 22, 2025

MODERATE

The amendment significantly expands the bill's scope by adding a new Public Resources Code section (22545.17) that requires energy storage system applications to include emergency response and action plans, in addition to the existing requirement for thermal powerplants and transmission lines under Section 25520. This means battery storage facilities will now face the same emergency planning requirements as other power facilities, including coordination with local emergency management agencies and compliance with NFPA 855 setback standards.

Scope change

Expanded from covering only thermal powerplants and electric transmission lines to also include energy storage systems (e.g., battery storage facilities), creating a parallel requirement in a new code section specifically for that facility type.

SCOPE

New Section 22545.17 added to the Public Resources Code requiring applications for energy storage systems to include an emergency response and action plan coordinated with local emergency management agencies, unified program agencies, and local first response agencies.

The bill's applicability expanded from only thermal powerplants and electric transmission lines (Section 25520) to also include energy storage systems, which are certified under a separate statutory provision.

REQUIREMENT

Energy storage system applicants must now provide analysis and feedback from a local emergency management agency on whether the facility requires supplemental first responder capabilities and meets NFPA 855 Standard for setbacks, including potential recommendations for greater setbacks.

FISCAL

The emergency response and action plan for energy storage systems must be paid for by the applicant.

Power facilities: emergency response and action plans.

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