California Air Resources Board

Exempts an agricultural crop preparation service (ACPS) from the Department of Recycling and Resource Recovery’s (CalRecycle) regulations for the Edible Food Rescue Program for Commercial Edible Food Generators (CCR Tit.14, Div. 7, Chap. 12, Art. 10) promulgated under the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Strategy if the ACPS demonstrates to CalRecycle, in a form and manner developed by CalRecycle, that it has not disposed of organic waste in a landfill on or after January 1, 2016.

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Declares it is the established policy of the State that all dwelling units be able to attain and maintain a safe maximum indoor temperature and directs specified State agencies, including CARB, to consider this policy when carrying out its activities. The bill provides that it does not expand any obligation of the State to provide a safe maximum indoor temperature or require the expenditure of additional resources to develop infrastructure beyond the obligations that exist under current program requirements.

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Requires the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to oversee a sustainable agriculture program to provide research, technical assistance, and incentive grants to promote agricultural practices that support climate resilience for farms and ranches and the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, and biodiversity. The bill also renames the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming to the Scientific Advisory Panel on Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture (Panel) for the purpose of providing advice to the CDFA Secretary on the implementation of research, incentive, and technical assistance grant programs for sustainable agriculture. This bill also expands the Panel from nine members to eleven members to add members of the public that represent scientific expertise in sustainable agriculture and members of state agencies that represent expertise in programs and policies related to agriculture.

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Urgency bill enacting various policies related to electrical corporations, including authorizing public financing and ownership of electric transmission infrastructure; addressing wildfire mitigation spending and financing; liability of wildfire property claims; permitting of clean energy projects; transparency of electrical corporations’ return on equity; enforcement of timeliness of energization projects; prohibitions on large electrical corporations from including in their equity rate base an additional $6 billion of wildfire mitigation capital expenditures.

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Extends the current January 1, 2026, sunset date for the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority’s sales and use tax exclusion program to January 1, 2028, adds fusion energy as an eligible alternative source, and modifies the stated purpose of the program to promote high-quality jobs and ensure that California communities and workers benefit from projects receiving financial assistance under the program.

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Requires the  Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to develop strategies to reduce barriers and increase support for stewardship of conserved lands and collaborate with stakeholders, California Native American tribes, and relevant state agencies to prepare a section on stewardship as part of the 2027 annual report on progress made toward achieving the 30x30 goal, which the bill requires to include, among other things, recommendations to increase and improve stewardship of 30x30 lands, including innovative ways to reduce barriers and increase federal, state, and local support for stewardship, as specified. The bill would require the update to be posted on the agency’s internet website. 

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Authorizes the California Energy Commission to modify requirements for electric vehicle charger payment systems formerly set by CARB.

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Specifies thermal energy storage for multiple existing financial incentive programs administered by the California Energy Commission and the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank relating to industrial decarbonization. CARB is in a consultation role. The bill places additional requirements on program participants such as mandating project labor agreements and establishing a community benefits fund or agreement.

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Adds a definition for "certified reclaimed refrigerant" in California statute to clarify the previous reference to the United States Environmental Protection Agency definition of “reclaim” in Section 84.3 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Under the new definition, “certified reclaimed refrigerant” means recovered refrigerant that meets four specific criteria based on CARB's Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) regulation, which includes that it is reclaimed, has been analyzed to meet specifications, and is documented by a certified reclaimer to contain no more that 15% new refrigerant. The bill also delays the prohibition on new HFCs used exclusively for very low temperature refrigeration or cooling until 2028, as specified.

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Authorizes the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and the electrical corporations whose transmission is operated by the CAISO to use voluntary energy markets governed by an independent regional organization, provided that specific requirements are met. This is an energy market expansion bill creating greater opportunity for renewable energy to be bought and sold. Requires greenhouse gas information and protocols be sufficient to enable compliance with the requirements of any State agency.

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