Power facility and site certifications: thermal powerplants: geothermal resources.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text does not provide specific details about workforce training requirements, only that they need to be certified as followed if an exemption is granted.

Geothermal Powerplant Exemptions

This law allows certain small geothermal powerplants to skip some state certifications if they meet specific criteria and get local approval.

What This Bill Does

• Allows the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to exempt geothermal powerplants with a capacity of 50 to 150 megawatts from certification requirements until January 1, 2030.
• Requires applicants for these exemptions to file an application by June 30, 2029, with the local government agency that oversees land use in their area.
• Makes the local governmental agency responsible for environmental review and permits if a powerplant meets the criteria for exemption.
• Requires applicants to follow specific workforce training requirements if they get an exemption.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who want to build geothermal powerplants with capacities between 50 and 150 megawatts.
• Local governmental agencies that oversee land use in areas where these powerplants are proposed.
• The State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.

Terms To Know

thermal powerplant

A facility that generates electricity using heat energy, such as from geothermal resources.

certification requirement

The process of getting approval from a government agency before building certain types of facilities.

Limits and Unknowns

• This law only applies to powerplants that generate electricity using exclusively geothermal resources.
• It is unclear how many powerplant projects will qualify for these exemptions.
• Local governmental agencies must agree to be the lead agency and require environmental review under CEQA.

Official Summary Text

AB 1016, as amended, Jeff Gonzalez.
Power facility and site certifications: thermal powerplants: geothermal resources.
Existing law vests the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission with the exclusive jurisdiction to certify the construction of a thermal powerplant, as defined. Existing law prohibits a person from constructing a thermal powerplant unless that person obtains certification from the commission. Existing law authorizes the commission to exempt from the certification requirement a thermal powerplant with a generating capacity of up to 100 megawatts and modifications to existing generating facilities that do not add capacity in excess of 100 megawatts, if the commission finds that no substantial adverse impact on the environment or energy resources will result from the project. Existing law makes the commission the lead agency for purposes of environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for all projects that require certification and
for projects that are exempted by the commission.
This bill would additionally authorize the commission to exempt from the certification requirement, only until January 1, 2030, a thermal powerplant that generates electricity using exclusively geothermal resources and is found by the commission to meet specified criteria, including that the person proposing the powerplant files an application on or before June 30, 2029, with the local governmental agency that has land use and related jurisdiction over the area in which the powerplant is located, that the local governmental agency will be the lead agency for the project and will require a discretionary permit that is subject to environmental review pursuant to CEQA, that the person proposing the powerplant certifies that specified skilled and trained workforce requirements will be followed if the exemption is granted, and that the powerplant has a net generating capacity of 50 to 150 megawatts or that modifications
are being made to the powerplant to add capacity resulting in total net generating capacity of 50 to 150
megawatts.
megawatts, and for any plan for multiple geothermal powerplants that use at least one common infrastructure component and those powerplants, in total, have a net generating capacity of 50 or more megawatts.
Upon the commission granting an exemption, the bill would require the local governmental agency to be the lead agency for purposes of CEQA to certify the site and related facility, as provided. The bill
would
would, until January 1, 2030,
make the local governmental agency that has land use and related jurisdiction
over the area of the proposed site and related facility the lead agency pursuant to CEQA for any project that the commission exempts from the certification requirement and that generates electricity using geothermal resources as provided.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF