Plain English Breakdown
The effective date is unknown based on the provided text, which notes the bill passed the legislature but does not show final executive action or an enacted date.
Forest Organic Residue, Energy, and Safety Transformation (FOREST) Act
This law creates a program to pay facilities that generate electricity using wood waste from high-risk fire areas, aiming to reduce wildfire fuel.
What This Bill Does
- Creates the FOREST program to support biomass power generation in California.
- Pays eligible facilities an incentive rate if they use forest biomass waste or solid fuel biomass to make electricity sold to specified retail sellers.
- Requires that at least 60% of the wood material used by these facilities comes from Tier 1 or Tier 2 high hazard zones.
- Establishes a fire fuel reduction program aiming to remove up to 15 million bone-dry tons of forest biomass waste per year.
- Sets aside money in the FOREST and Wildfire Prevention Fund for use if the Legislature approves spending.
Who It Names or Affects
- Operators of facilities that generate electricity using solid fuel or forest biomass waste.
- The State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, which will run the program and set rules.
- Specified retail sellers who buy power from these eligible renewable energy resources.
Terms To Know
- Biomass
- Organic material like wood or forest waste used as fuel to generate electricity.
- Tier 1 and Tier 2 high hazard zones
- Areas identified by the state as having a very high risk of wildfires or falling trees.
- Feedstock
- The raw material, such as wood waste, that is put into a facility to create energy.
Limits and Unknowns
- Money for the program will only be available if the Legislature approves an appropriation.
- Facilities must prove they are certified by the Energy Commission before receiving payments.
- The exact incentive payment rates have not been set yet and will be decided by the state board.