Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to establish a Carbon Capture, Removal, Utilization, and Storage Program to capture, remove, and store carbon dioxide, as provided. Existing law requires the state board to develop a centralized public database to track the deployment of specified carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology or equipment and carbon dioxide removal activities that use technologies or engineered strategies to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as specified, and the development of carbon dioxide capture, removal, or sequestration projects throughout the state. This bill would require the state board to establish the Marine Carbon Initiative and would set forth the objectives of the initiative, including advancing the body of research and scientific understanding of marine carbon dioxide removal and sequestration. The bill would require the initiative to include the Marine Carbon Council (council) and the Marine Carbon Research Program (program) . The bill would require the state board, on or before July 1, 2027, to establish the council to advance the science and understanding of marine carbon dioxide removal and sequestration methods and technologies. The bill would require the council to consist of 7 members chosen by the state board who would be selected on or before August 1, 2027, and would specify the selection process for, and the qualifications of, the council. The bill would require the council, by July 1, 2028, to report to the state board with recommendations on marine carbon dioxide removal and sequestration, as specified. The bill would require the state board, on or before August 1, 2028, to establish the program, and would require the state board to administer the program in consultation with the council. The bill would require the program to award grants on a competitive basis, and other financial incentives the state board may designate, for eligible marine carbon dioxide removal and sequestration projects, as specified. The bill would require the council, on or before January 1, 2029, and biennially thereafter, to submit a report to the Legislature that, at minimum, summarizes the findings and progress of the council in its work, as provided. The bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the sum of $2,000,000 to be allocated to the state board annually for no less than 7 years to fund the program.
Under existing law, the Department of Fish and Wildlife has jurisdiction over the conservation, protection, and management of fish, wildlife, native plants, and habitat necessary for biologically sustainable populations of those species. This bill would establish the San Gabriel Valley Bear Management and Community Safety Act, which would require, on or before January 1, 2027, the department to develop a regional plan specific to the cities located within the San Gabriel Valley in the County of Los Angeles to address issues relating to bears in the community. The bill would require the plan to include various components, including, among other things, an overview of the behaviors of the bears in the San Gabriel Mountains. The bill would require the department to establish measurable performance goals for reducing bear encounters within the cities located in the San Gabriel Valley in the County of Los Angeles, and to report those goals to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2027. The bill would require the department to tag and track any bear that enters a residential neighborhood in a city located within the San Gabriel Valley in the County of Los Angeles using innovative technologies, as specified. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for County of Los Angeles.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires all charges demanded or received by a public utility for a product or commodity furnished or to be furnished or a service rendered or to be rendered to be just and reasonable. Existing law, except as provided, prohibits a public utility from changing a rate unless there is a showing before the PUC and a finding by the PUC that the new rate is justified. Existing law requires the PUC to publish and maintain on its internet website particular documents regarding the PUC's agendas, actions, decisions, resolutions, rules, and other information. This bill would prohibit the PUC from placing the consideration of a decision in a ratesetting proceeding that would result in an increase in rates to customers of an electrical corporation that has a revenue requirement that exceeds $1,000,000,000 on its consent agenda. The bill would, except as provided, require the PUC to provide, at a meeting to vote on a decision of a ratesetting proceeding that increases the rates of an electrical corporation's customers by more than 5%, before its vote on the decision, a public comment period of at least 30 minutes on the decision. Under existing law, the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program requires retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources during certain compliance periods up to December 31, 2030. Existing law provides that a local publicly owned electric utility is not required to procure a certain amount of eligible renewable energy resources if, during a year within those compliance periods, the local publicly owned electric utility receives more than 40% of its retail sales from large hydroelectric generation under an ownership agreement or contract in effect as of January 1, 2018. Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to establish appropriate multiyear compliance periods for local publicly owned electric utilities beyond December 31, 2030. This bill would provide that the provision related to the procurement of eligible renewable energy resources by local publicly owned electric utilities also applies to the compliance periods established by the Energy Commission.
Existing law requires the Secretary for Environmental Protection, until January 1, 2027, to convene the Lithium-Ion Car Battery Recycling Advisory Group to review, and advise the Legislature on, policies pertaining to the recovery and recycling of lithium-ion batteries sold with motor vehicles in the state, and requires the secretary to appoint members to the committee from specified departments, vocations, and organizations. Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes the Office of Emergency Services within the Governor's office, under the supervision of the Director of Emergency Services, and makes the office responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies. This bill would require the Office of the State Fire Marshal on or before December 31, 2026, to convene the Lithium-Ion Car Battery Advisory Group to review, and advise the Legislature on, policies pertaining to the safety and management of lithium-ion vehicle batteries involved in an emergency situation, as provided. The bill would require the Office of the State Fire Marshal to appoint members to the advisory group from specified departments, agencies, vocations, and organizations. The bill would require the advisory group to meet at least quarterly until July 1, 2028, and to consult with universities and research institutions that have conducted research in the area of lithium-ion batteries, with manufacturers of electric and hybrid vehicles, and both state and local first responders. The bill would require the group to develop standards, on or before July 1, 2028, based on local, state, and national guidance and research, aimed at ensuring that best standards and practices are created that allow first responders to respond to lithium-ion vehicle battery emergencies in a safe and efficient manner. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2029.
The Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995 requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish and oversee various programs, including an environmental farming program and the Healthy Soils Program, and requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to convene a 9-member Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming to advise the secretary on the implementation of the Healthy Soils Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program and to assist federal, state, and local government agencies, as appropriate or necessary, on issues relating to the impact of agricultural practices on air, water, and wildlife habitat, as specified. Existing law creates the Climate Smart Agriculture Account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, consisting of moneys made available from federal, state, industry, philanthropic, and private sources, and continuously appropriates the moneys in the account to the department for purposes of the act. This bill would, as part of the act, authorize the department, in consultation with the panel, to establish and oversee the Managed Honeybee Health Program for the purpose of enhancing the health and well-being of managed honeybees in California, which are necessary to support the economic viability of California agriculture. The bill would authorize the department, to the extent that moneys are available, to provide grants to eligible recipients for health intervention projects that directly enhance the health and well-being of managed honeybees used in pollination services and for projects that indirectly support health interventions through research, extension, and technical assistance. The bill would authorize the department to determine priorities for the program and to consider, when awarding grants, whether a project applicant or project meets specified criteria, in addition to criteria developed to address the program priorities. The bill would authorize the department to collect nonstate, federal, and private funds for the purpose of the program, require those funds to be deposited into the Managed Honeybee Health Special Fund Subaccount, which this bill would create within the Climate Smart Agriculture Account, and continuously appropriate moneys in the subaccount to the department for the purpose of the program. The bill would make operation of these provisions contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature for the program in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
Existing law establishes the Air Quality Improvement Program that is administered by the State Air Resources Board for purposes of funding projects related to, among other things, the reduction of criteria air pollutants and improvement of air quality. Existing law establishes the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Fleet Purchasing Assistance Program (program) within the Air Quality Improvement Program to make financing tools and nonfinancial supports available to operators of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleets to enable those operators to transition their fleets to zero-emission vehicles. This bill, for any regulation adopted to develop or implement the program, or other regulations that are regarding the procurement or use of medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles by a public or private fleet, would require the state board to consider specified things, including, among other things, the environmental and supply chain benefits of renting medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles compared to procuring them.
Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) , in consultation with specified entities, to adopt a biennial integrated energy policy report containing certain information, including an overview of major energy trends and issues facing the state. This bill would require the Energy Commission, in the next update to the biennial integrated energy policy report after January 1, 2027, and subject to available funding, to adopt a virtual power plant deployment plan. The bill would require the Energy Commission, in developing the plan, to take certain actions, and would require that the plan meet specified requirements. Existing law requires the Energy Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator, to adopt a goal for load shifting to reduce net peak electrical demand and adjust this target in each biennial integrated energy policy report thereafter. This bill would require each electrical corporation to annually report to the Energy Commission its contribution towards meeting that load-shift goal.
(1) Existing law, the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, prohibits any person or public agency from importing into the state, exporting out of the state, or taking, possessing, purchasing, or selling within the state, a western Joshua tree or any part or product of the tree, except as provided. Under existing law, the Department of Fish and Wildlife may authorize, by permit, the taking of a western Joshua tree if certain conditions are met, including, among other conditions, that the permittee mitigates all impacts to, and the taking of, the western Joshua tree. Existing law authorizes the department to enter into an agreement with any county or city to delegate to the county or city the ability to authorize the taking of a western Joshua tree associated with developing single-family residences, multifamily residences, accessory structures, and public works projects concurrent with its approval of the project if certain conditions are met. Existing law authorizes any person or public agency receiving a take authorization for a project to pay specified fees in lieu of satisfying the mitigation obligation on several bases, including if the project receives a permit issued by a county or city. This bill would additionally authorize the department to enter into an agreement with any city to delegate to the city the ability to authorize the taking of western Joshua trees associated with developing commercial and industrial projects. The bill would, relative to other project types subject to delegated local mitigation authority, limit the bases for commercial or industrial projects to pay specified fees in lieu of satisfying the mitigation obligation, as provided. (2) Existing law authorizes the department to issue a permit to authorize either the removal or trimming of a dead western Joshua tree or the trimming of a live western Joshua tree. This bill would remove the reference to a dead or live western Joshua tree, thereby authorizing the department to issue a permit to authorize either the removal or trimming of any western Joshua tree. Existing law authorizes the department to issue a permit for these purposes, without the payment of fees or other mitigation, provided that a dead western Joshua tree or any limbs to be removed meet at least one of a specified list of conditions. This bill would revise and recast this provision to instead authorize the department to issue a permit, without the payment of fees or other mitigation, if either the western Joshua tree is located within 100 feet of an existing single-family home and any associated accessory structure or that removal or trimming is necessary for the homeowner to meet defensible space requirements, as provided.
Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the California regional water quality control boards prescribe waste discharge requirements in accordance with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. Under federal law, any applicant seeking a federal license or permit for an activity that may result in any discharge into the navigable waters of the United States is required to first seek a state water quality certification, as specified. The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act authorizes the state board to certify or provide a statement to a federal agency, as required pursuant to federal law, that there is reasonable assurance that an activity of any person subject to the jurisdiction of the state board will not reduce water quality below applicable standards. The federal act provides that if a state fails or refuses to act on a request for this certification within a reasonable period of time, which shall not exceed one year after receipt of the request, then the state certification requirements are waived with respect to the federal application. This bill would require the state board, if requested by the applicant within 14 days of an initial draft certification being issued, to hold a public hearing at least 21 days before taking action on an application for certification for a license to operate a hydroelectric facility, as provided. The bill would, if a public hearing is requested on the draft certification, prohibit the authority to issue a certification for a license to operate a hydroelectric facility from being delegated. The bill would authorize the state board to include in its fee schedule for hydroelectric facility applicants an amount up to the reasonable costs incurred by the state board in implementing these provisions.
Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, lighting, insulation, climate control system, and other building design and construction standards that increase efficiency in the use of energy and water for new residential and new nonresidential buildings, and energy and water conservation design standards for new residential and new nonresidential buildings. Pursuant to this authority, the commission has adopted regulations requiring solar-ready buildings and for the installation of photovoltaic systems meeting certain requirements for low-rise residential buildings built on or after January 1, 2020. This bill would, until January 1, 2028, require residential construction intended to repair, restore, or replace a residential building damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster in an area in which a state of emergency has been proclaimed by the Governor to comply only with the requirements regarding photovoltaic systems pursuant to those regulations, if any, that were in effect at the time the damaged or destroyed building was originally constructed and would prohibit that construction from being required to comply with any additional or conflicting photovoltaic system requirements in effect at the time of repair, restoration, or replacement. The bill would only apply to the construction of a building if certain conditions are met with respect to the building owner's income and insurance coverage and to the location and square footage of the construction. Because a local agency would be required to determine whether any older applicable photovoltaic requirements are met, 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.
