Existing law defines a "renewable electrical generation facility" as a facility that uses biomass, solar thermal, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, fuel cells or linear generators that use specified fuels, small hydroelectric generation of 30 megawatts or less, digester gas, municipal solid waste conversion, landfill gas, ocean wave, ocean thermal, or tidal current, and that meets other specified requirements. Existing law incorporates that definition into various programs, including the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, which requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from electrical generating facilities that meet that definition of "renewable electrical generation facility," and the net energy metering program, in which residential customers, small commercial customers, and commercial, industrial, or agricultural customers of an electrical utility, who use renewable electrical generation facilities, are eligible to participate, as specified. This bill would expand the definition of "renewable electrical generation facility" to include a facility that converts hydrogen gas to electricity in a turbine and meets specified criteria, including that the hydrogen used in the turbine is solely derived from an eligible renewable resource, as specified, or through the electrolysis of water, and exclusively uses electricity generated from another renewable electrical generation facility, and that the manufacturing of the hydrogen does not result in resource shuffling or use unbundled renewable energy credits, as specified. Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because a violation of a commission action implementing this bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
(1) Existing law authorizes the State Oil and Gas Supervisor to authorize the conversion of not more than 250 wells for use as gravity-based energy storage wells to evaluate their use, including the establishment of appropriate operating conditions and physical parameters to safely store and generate energy. Existing law repeals this authorization on January 1, 2035, and would specify that authorizations issued by the supervisor terminate on that date. This bill would correct an erroneous cross reference for that authorization. (2) Existing law defines "task force" as the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force established by the Governor to oversee the implementation of Executive Order No. B-52-18, and required the task force to, among other things, on January 1, 2022, develop a comprehensive implementation strategy to track and ensure the achievement of the goals and key actions identified in "California's Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan" issued by the task force in January 2021, as provided. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the definition of "task force." (3) Existing law requires the State Lands Commission to adopt regulations relating to ballast water, as provided. Existing law requires the commission to adopt a regulation that requires an owner or operator of a vessel carrying, or capable of carrying, ballast water that operates on the waters of the state to comply with specified federal laws, as provided. Existing law requires the commission to consult with the United States Coast Guard to attempt to identify an alternative, environmentally sound method of ballast water management under specified circumstances in accordance with specified federal laws, as provided. This bill would require the commission to adopt a regulation that requires an owner or operator of a vessel carrying, or capable of carrying, ballast water that operates on the waters of the state to instead comply with different specified federal law. The bill would also require the commission to consult with the United States Coast Guard on an alternative, environmentally sound method of ballast water management under specified circumstances in accordance with additional federal law. (4) Existing law lifts, until February 1, 2066, the use restrictions imposed by the granting statutes and the public trust doctrine with respect to after-acquired lands, property that is not original tidelands or submerged lands, title to which was not derived from the granting statutes, that were acquired with public trust funds derived from port operations as specified, in Jack London Square and authorizes the Port of Oakland to lease these lands for any purpose subject to specified conditions. Existing law authorizes the port to lease after-acquired lands for a nontrust use only if the port finds specified conditions are met, including, among other conditions, that the nontrust uses will not impair or harm existing public access or public trust uses and are intended to attract the statewide public to Jack London Square and the waterfront to promote increased use and enjoyment of the area. Existing law requires the port to make the findings that these specified conditions are met for each proposed nontrust lease at a public meeting. This bill would correct an erroneous cross-reference relating to that requirement.
(1) Upon receipt of a petition or resolution seeking reorganization of a school district, existing law requires a county committee on school district reorganization to hold one or more public hearings on the petition or resolution and, following the hearing or hearings, to grant or deny the petition. If the county committee grants the petition, existing law requires it to adopt a tentative recommendation and hold one or more further public hearings in the area proposed for reorganization. Following the last public hearing, existing law authorizes the county committee to adopt a final recommendation and requires the county committee to (A) transmit that recommendation with the petition or resolution to the State Board of Education for hearing, (B) transmit the petition to the state board and order the reorganization granted, or (C) transmit the petition to the state board and order that an election be held. Existing law authorizes an action of the county committee under (B) or (C) to be appealed to the state board, as specified. Existing law authorizes the state board to approve proposals for the reorganization of school districts if the state board determines that certain conditions are substantially met, and also authorizes the state board to approve a proposal for the reorganization of school districts if the state board determines that it is not practical or possible to apply the specified criteria literally, and that the circumstances with respect to the proposal provide an exceptional situation sufficient to justify approval of the proposal. If the state board approves the plans and recommendations for the unification or other reorganization of the school districts in any area, existing law requires the county superintendent of schools, within 35 days after being notified of that approval, to call an election in the territory of the districts as determined by the state board, as specified. This bill, notwithstanding any other law, and until January 1, 2030, would authorize the state board to approve a proposal for the reorganization of school districts if the governing board of a school district that is an excess tax entity, as specified, with an enrollment of fewer than 10,000 pupils and the governing board or body of a city, county, special district, or local agency formation commission with a population of more than 10,000 residents that adopted a resolution seeking reorganization of the original school district, have executed one or more legally binding and enforceable written agreements intended to effectuate the reorganization, and the state board determines that the agreements satisfactorily address the specified criteria and provide an exceptional situation sufficient to justify approval of the proposed reorganization. (2) Existing law prohibits the reorganization of a school district or districts from affecting the classification of certificated employees already employed by a school district affected by the reorganization and from affecting the rights of persons employed in positions not requiring certification qualifications to retain the salary, leaves, and other benefits that they would have had if the reorganization had not occurred. Existing law requires that persons employed in positions not requiring certification qualifications in a school district whose territory is included in a unification of districts continue as employees of the unified school district for not less than 2 years and prohibits those persons from being deprived, by reason of the unification, of any benefit that they would have had if the unification had not taken place. When a school district is reorganized as described in this bill, the bill would (A) require, in addition to the above-prescribed prohibitions, both permanent and probationary certificated and noncertificated employees who elect to remain employees of reorganized portion of the divided district to have the same rights as persons employed in positions not requiring certification qualifications in a school district whose territory is included in a unification of districts, including, but not limited to, continuing as employees of the reorganized portion of the divided district for not less than 2 years and (B) require, notwithstanding any other law, any collective bargaining agreement in effect immediately before the effective date of reorganization to remain in full force and effect until the expiration or renewal of the agreement, as specified. (3) When a school district is reorganized and the allocation of funds, property, and obligations are not fixed by terms, conditions, or recommendations as provided by law, existing law requires the funds, property, and obligations of a former district to be allocated in a specified manner. Existing law authorizes a school district to impose qualified special taxes, as defined, subject to specified constitutional and statutory provisions. When a school district is reorganized as described in this bill, the bill would authorize the reorganized portion of the divided school district and the remaining portion of the divided school district, as defined, to continue to impose within their respective geographical boundaries any qualified special taxes imposed in the boundaries of the original school district, as defined, before it was divided.
Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) , in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) , the Independent System Operator, and the State Air Resources Board, on or before December 31, 2023, to submit to the Legislature an assessment of the firm zero-carbon resources that support a clean, reliable, and resilient electrical grid in the state and will achieve the policy of the state that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 100% of all retail sales of electricity to the state's end-use customers and 100% of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2045, as specified. This bill would require the Energy Commission, working with the PUC, to prepare and submit to the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2028, a statewide assessment of the role and necessity of firm zero-carbon resources in meeting the state's clean energy and reliability objectives, potential technologies and strategies for integrating firm zero-carbon resources into the state's energy mix, recommendations on procurement, policy, and planning actions to deploy and support firm zero-carbon resources, and current and projected renewable and firm zero-carbon generation capacity, reliability requirements under varying system conditions, and the cost and emission implications of firm zero-carbon resources.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas corporations and heat corporations. Existing law requires every public utility to furnish and maintain adequate, efficient, just, and reasonable service, instrumentalities, equipment, and facilities, as are necessary to promote the safety, health, comfort, and convenience of its customers, its employees, and the public. Existing law authorizes a gas corporation to cease providing service if a certain pilot program has been implemented and the PUC determines that adequate substitute energy service is reasonably available for the energy end uses of affected gas corporation customers. This bill would authorize a utility regulated by the PUC to own and operate thermal energy service through thermal energy networks, as defined, and would require the PUC to ensure that the substitution of thermal energy service for gas service offers an adequate substitute for the thermal end-use energy needs of customers, as provided. The bill would prohibit a utility regulated by the PUC from recovering costs for gas infrastructure in areas approved to be served by a thermal energy network, except as specified. The bill would require the commission and gas corporations to prioritize the use of the existing gas utility workforce for the transition to thermal energy network operations, as specified. The bill would require a utility to ensure that all contractors and subcontractors performing work on a thermal energy network project use a skilled and trained workforce. The bill would require the PUC, on or before December 31, 2027, to initiate a proceeding to establish a regulatory framework for the provision of cost-effective thermal energy service by gas corporations or other public utilities, as provided. This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) , in consultation with the PUC, on or before December 31, 2027, to develop technical standards for thermal energy networks, as provided. The bill would require the Energy Commission to complete the development of the technical standards before the PUC initiates the proceeding described above. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because the labor requirements for a thermal energy network project would be part of the act and a violation of a PUC action implementing those requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation under the direction of the State Oil and Gas Supervisor, who is required to supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities related to oil and gas production within an oil and gas field so as to prevent damage to life, health, property, and natural resources. Existing law establishes the California State University under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in the state. This bill would require the department, consistent with its statutory authority and in coordination with other state or federal regulatory agencies, to prioritize granting approvals for specified types of low-carbon or carbon-reducing technologies and applications. The bill would authorize the department to establish the Subsurface Low-Carbon Demonstration Project Program to facilitate partnerships among the state, the California State University system, private industry, and public entities to study and demonstrate innovative subsurface technologies using existing and idle wells. The bill would authorize the department to establish various programs in partnership with the California State University and California State University, Bakersfield, including (1) the Regional Subsurface Energy Transition and Applied Research Program and (2) a subsurface energy research field station for applied research, field testing, monitoring, and demonstration of subsurface technologies. The bill would also authorize the department to (3) collaborate with the California Energy Research Center at California State University, Bakersfield, and recognize the center as a state-affiliated applied research, technical assistance, and policy support partner, as provided, and (4) designate and support the California Core Repository at California State University, Bakersfield, as an official state-affiliated repository, as provided. This bill would authorize the department to establish and administer an official department office at California State University, Bakersfield, and would authorize the California State University to support and collaborate on activities across the full scope of the department's statutory responsibilities, as provided. This bill would explicitly authorize university-based researchers associated with any of the above-described programs to serve on advisory panels, technical working groups, and research committees in an advisory capacity, and provide scientific expertise to inform regulatory development, interagency coordination, and public communication. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for California State University, Bakersfield.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases and requires the state board to ensure that statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the 1990 level no later than December 31, 2030. The act declares the policy of the state to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, but no later than 2045, and to achieve and maintain net negative greenhouse gas emissions thereafter. The act also requires the Natural Resources Agency, in collaboration with specified entities, to determine an ambitious range of targets for natural carbon sequestration, and for nature-based climate solutions, that reduce greenhouse gas emissions for 2030, 2038, and 2045 to support state goals to achieve carbon neutrality and foster climate adaptation and resilience. The act requires the Natural Resources Agency and the state board to establish an expert advisory committee composed of specified entities to provide recommendations on addressing barriers to efficient implementation of the provisions relating to climate targets. This bill would additionally require that expert advisory committee to include an expert in soil carbon sequestration. The bill would establish the Climate-smart Organics Management for Protecting Our Soil and Terrain (COMPOST) Act of 2026. The bill would require the Natural Resources Agency, in collaboration with specified entities, to, on or before January 1, 2028, develop an integrated nature-based climate strategy to link waste diversion goals with soil health practices on natural and working lands. The bill would require the strategy to include multiagency recommendations and incentives to increase climate-friendly on-farm compost production and use, including compost application on grasslands and priority rangeland for improved vegetation and carbon storage. The bill would require the recommendations to be consistent with specified publications, standards, and strategies, including the reduction of at least 5,000,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the state annually. This bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to use best available science, mapping, and land management planning tools to support prioritization, siting, and deployment of soil amendment strategies to maximize climate benefits. The bill would require the Natural Resources Agency to publish, and annually update, the nature-based climate strategy for compost on its internet website.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Under existing law, the commission administers, or otherwise oversees, various public purpose programs, including energy efficiency and conservation programs, cost-effective energy efficiency programs, rate assistance programs for eligible food banks, and home insulation financial assistance programs. Under existing law, those programs are generally funded through a charge on electrical service, which is collected through customer rates. This bill would establish the Public Utilities Public Purpose Programs Fund. The bill would require the commission, no later than January 1 of each year, commencing January 1, 2027, to determine and publish the amount necessary to fund certain public purpose programs and programs administered by electrical regional energy networks for the following fiscal year, as provided. The bill would require the Controller to transfer, on July 1 of each fiscal year, from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the Public Utilities Public Purpose Programs Fund moneys appropriated by the Legislature for that purpose. The bill would require all moneys in the Public Utilities Public Purpose Programs Fund to be allocated by the commission, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to fund the public purpose programs and programs administered by electrical regional energy networks, as provided. The bill would repeal various charges on electrical service that fund public purpose programs and, instead, provide mechanisms for funding those public purpose programs through the Public Utilities Public Purpose Programs Fund, as specified. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because certain of the above provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing this bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law authorizes a community choice aggregator to aggregate the electrical load of interested electricity consumers within its boundaries and requires a community choice aggregator to file an implementation plan with the Public Utilities Commission, to register with the commission, and to enter into an operating service agreement with an electrical corporation. Existing law requires the Energy Unit within the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to establish a Transmission Infrastructure Accelerator (accelerator) to develop a financing and development strategy for eligible transmission projects, as defined, to receive California Transmission Accelerator financing, and requires the accelerator to take the necessary steps to accelerate the development and deployment of those projects to maximize ratepayer savings. This bill would authorize a community choice aggregator to sponsor, develop, finance, construct, operate, lease, purchase, and own an eligible transmission project, regardless of whether the electrical transmission lines are used for the purpose of conveying electricity to the customers of the community choice aggregator. Under existing law, a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because a violation of a commission action implementing the provisions of this bill would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt regulations for greenhouse gas emissions limits and emissions reduction measures to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in furtherance of achieving the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, as defined. The act authorizes that state board to include in those regulations the use of a market-based compliance mechanism, known as the California Cap-and-Invest Program, to comply with those regulations. Existing law requires moneys collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of the California Cap-and-Invest Program to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and continuously appropriates a portion of the moneys in the fund for various purposes. Existing law requires the Natural Resources Agency, in collaboration with the state board, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Food and Agriculture, an expert advisory committee established, as provided, and other relevant state agencies, to determine an ambitious range of targets for natural carbon sequestration, and for nature-based climate solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions for 2030, 2038, and 2045 to support state goals to achieve carbon neutrality and foster climate adaptation and resilience. Existing law defines "nature-based climate solutions" for these purposes to mean activities, such as restoration, conservation, and land management actions, that increase net carbon sequestration or reduce greenhouse gas emissions in natural and working lands. This bill would annually appropriate the sum of $250,000,000 from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in the annual Budget Act each fiscal year from the 2027–2028 to the 2045–46 fiscal year, inclusive, to achieve nature-based climate solutions on natural, working, and urban lands, including $150,000,000 to be allocated to the Natural Resources Agency to fund nature-based climate solutions, as provided, and $100,000,000 to be allocated for nature-based climate solutions at the discretion of the Legislature, as provided. The bill would additionally appropriate, after those amounts are allocated, the sum of $150,000,000 from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in the annual Budget Act each fiscal year from the 2027–2028 to the 2045–46 fiscal year, inclusive, to the Department of Food and Agriculture to fund sustainable agricultural practices and nature-based climate solutions, as provided.
