California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have memorialized the Legislature’s declaration that the State is currently suffering a supply chain crisis and would have urged the State’s public agencies, departments, and local governments to provide all due and proper assistance to carriers, cargo owners, public seaports, terminals, workers, and facilities to facilitate the essential service of delivering goods to Californians. Remains in the Senate Rules Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in consultation with CARB and the California Energy Commission, under a separate proceeding, to authorize gas corporations to file applications for investments in programs to accelerate zero-emission vehicle transportation, including the use of hydrogen when it is used as a transportation fuel in fuel cell electric vehicles. CPUC would have been prohibited from approving any program or investment that would have resulted in either cost shifts in customer rates or a net increase in emissions from the energy sector, as determined by CARB. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have established the California Electric Vehicle Authority (Authority) as a separate entity within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. The bill would have required the Authority to coordinate activities among State agencies to advance electric vehicle and zero-emission charging infrastructure deployment as well as ensure related equity, workforce development, economic development, and other needs are addressed. The Authority would have developed new funding and financing programs, as separately authorized by the Legislature, including, but not limited to, incentives, rebates, tax credits, loan guarantees, reverse auctions, seed funds, pooled insurance funds, and matching grants. The Authority would have sunset January 1, 2029. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the California Energy Commission to develop and implement a grant program for local governments to develop “community energy resilience plans” and expedite permit review of distributed energy resources by local governments. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required each city and county to make a one-time amendment to any of the following during the next update occurring after January 1, 2023 to identify goals and strategies to decarbonize new buildings, as specified: (1) its general plan; (2) a climate action or greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction plan; or (3) building standards. The bill would have authorized the California Energy Commission to review the proposed amendments and provide specified feedback to the city or county. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have explicitly incorporated building decarbonization within several aspects of electric utility ratepayer-funded programs and within future, yet to be provided, federal moneys to address economic recovery, and would incorporate requirements for prevailing wage, among other things. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required CARB, by December 31, 2022, as a part of the Scoping Plan, to prepare an evaluation of the role of hydrogen, and particularly green hydrogen, in achieving California’s climate goals. CARB, in consultation with the California Energy Commission (CEC), the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Workforce Development Board, and labor groups, would have been required to prepare a separate evaluation by June 1, 2023 to be posted on CARB’s internet website.

Also, by June 1, 2023, CARB, in conjunction with CEC and CPUC, would have had to: (1) jointly develop recommendations to the Legislature on definitions for different categories of hydrogen and potential end uses for those categories of hydrogen; (2) provide guidance to the Legislature on which categories of hydrogen may be used to meet eligibility requirements for those programs under each State entity’s jurisdiction; (3) jointly develop prohibitions against double counting of environmental attributes associated with production, distribution, and use of hydrogen; and, (4) calculate life-cycle carbon dioxide intensity values for hydrogen pathways that reflect the fuels, feedstocks, and production processes used for their production. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have created the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program to incentivize the deployment of qualified flexible demand appliances (i.e., appliances that have the capability to schedule, shift, or curtail electricity use). Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required each local publicly owned electric utility to develop a transportation electrification plan to support the levels of electric vehicle adoption required to meet the goals of putting five million zero-emission vehicles on California roads by 2030 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the California Energy Commission (CEC), by July 1, 2022, to create a three-year appliance rebate program to provide eligible residential customers—defined as those with annual household incomes that are no greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline levels—of an electric utility or gas utility with monetary incentives to purchase new appliances that meet energy star or similar energy efficiency standards approved by CEC. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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