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AB-531 • 2026

Geothermal powerplants and projects: certification and environmental review.

Geothermal powerplants and projects: certification and environmental review.

Energy
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Rogers
Last action
2025-10-06
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 372, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on which environmental review steps are skipped or how the certification process affects other permits and approvals beyond stating that it is in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document required by governmental agencies.

Geothermal Powerplants: Certification and Environmental Review

This law allows geothermal power plants to be certified as environmental leadership projects by the Energy Commission, which means they can get special benefits for their development.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands the types of facilities that can be certified as environmental leadership development projects to include geothermal powerplants and projects with multiple geothermal powerplants on one site.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People and companies proposing geothermal powerplant projects in California.
  • Government agencies that usually give out permits and do environmental reviews.

Terms To Know

Environmental leadership development project
A type of energy project that gets special benefits to help it start faster, as long as it follows certain rules about being good for the environment.
Energy Commission
The group in charge of making and carrying out California’s energy policies.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law only applies to geothermal powerplants that apply by June 30, 2029.
  • Some parts of this bill will only work if another related bill (SB 254) is also passed and becomes a law.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-06 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 372, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-06 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-24 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-12 California Legislative Information

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 69. Noes 4. Page 3433.).

  5. 2025-09-12 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 1. Page 2888.).

  7. 2025-09-08 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-09-05 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  9. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  10. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (August 29).

  11. 2025-08-18 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

  12. 2025-07-16 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (July 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  13. 2025-07-07 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.

  14. 2025-07-03 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on E.Q. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (July 1).

  15. 2025-06-11 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and E.Q.

  16. 2025-06-03 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  17. 2025-06-02 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1835.)

  18. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  19. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (May 23).

  20. 2025-05-14 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

  21. 2025-04-22 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  22. 2025-04-03 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (April 2). Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

  23. 2025-03-03 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on U. & E. and NAT. RES.

  24. 2025-02-12 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.

  25. 2025-02-11 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 531, Rogers.
Geothermal powerplants and projects: certification and environmental review.
Existing law establishes and vests in the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) various responsibilities with respect to developing and implementing the state’s energy policies. Existing law authorizes persons proposing specified electrical generation, electrical transmission, hydrogen production, and energy storage projects to apply, on or before June 30, 2029, to the Energy Commission to certify sites and related facilities as environmental leadership development projects, as specified. Existing law makes a site and related facility certified by the Energy Commission subject to streamlining benefits related to CEQA with no further action by the applicant or the Governor. Under existing law, the Energy Commission’s certification is in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document required by any governmental agency and supersedes any
applicable statute, ordinance, or regulation, except as specified.
This bill would expand the types of facilities eligible to be certified as environmental leadership development projects by the Energy Commission to include geothermal powerplants and projects that comprise multiple geothermal powerplants on a single site.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 25545 of the Public Resources Code proposed by SB 254 to be operative only if this bill and SB 254 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF