California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required a local air district to adopt a rule or revise its existing rules, consistent with federal law, to allow a health facility that has received a permit from the district to construct and operate an emergency backup generator to use that emergency backup generator during a deenergization event without having that usage count toward any time limitation on actual usage and routine testing and maintenance included as a condition for issuance of that permit.  The bill would have required, if an electrical corporation, electrical cooperative, or local publicly owned electric utility had undertaken a deenergization event during a calendar year, that the electrical corporation, electrical cooperative, or local publicly owned electric utility, by January 30 of the following calendar year, submit a report with specified information to each local air district affected by the deenergization event.  Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

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Summary

Would have authorized a transactions and use tax to be placed on the ballot for approval by the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) electorate, if it had been approved by a majority vote of the SCAQMD’s governing board.  The bill would have required the SCAQMD to establish an independent taxpayers’ oversight committee within six months of the effective date of the transactions and use tax levy, increase, or extension to ensure that revenues generated by the levy, increase, or extension are expended consistent with the applicable requirements of the bill.  The bill would have required that all moneys received by SCAQMD from the transactions and use tax be used to implement projects that reduce air pollution through incentives and other measures to first fully implement SCAQMD’s state implementation plan and any subsequent air quality attainment plans, as specified.  Was not heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required a local air district hearing board to send a notice of a hearing to consider an application for an interim variance not less than 72 hours prior to the hearing to any person who requests the notice.  Was amended to deal with public peace.

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Summary

Requires, until January 1, 2024, local agencies to make the installation of an emergency backup generator to serve a macro cell tower site, as defined, that meets specified requirements, a permitted use.  The bill also requires a local agency to review an application for installation on an administrative, nondiscretionary basis. 

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Summary

Would have exempted the operation of an alternative power source, as defined, to provide power to a critical facility, as defined, from any local, regional, or State regulation regarding the operation of that source.  The bill would have authorized providers of essential public services, in lieu of compliance with applicable legal requirements, to comply with the maintenance and testing procedures set forth in the National Fire Protection Association Standard for Emergency and Standby Power System, NFPA 110, for alternative power sources designated by the essential public services providers for the support of critical facilities.  Was not heard in the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee.

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Summary

Would have added a requirement that new housing development in the coastal zone, as defined, minimize greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to the existing coastal zone requirement to minimize vehicle miles traveled and energy consumption.  Was not heard in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.

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Summary

Would have required CARB to convene a working group with a specified membership for the purposes of reviewing the state of air pollution control technologies, operational or maintenance standards, and work practices that may be applied to wine fermentation tanks, and the costs and benefits of those technologies, standards, and practices.  The bill would have required local air districts, when adopting a rule or issuing a permit requiring air pollution control technology to be installed on wine fermentation tanks, to include specified findings as part of that action.  The bill would have required CARB to allocate $1 million, available upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the University of California Davis for a study that would make recommendations on options to address air emissions from wine fermentation tanks.  Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

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Summary

Would have redefined “petroleum refinery” to exclude refineries under a capacity of 55,000 barrels per day and within 1 mile of communities under 3,000 residents from requirements to establish and maintain a refinery-related community air monitoring system.  Was amended to deal with peace officers.

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Summary

Would have allowed a city or county, as part of its authority over land use permitting and after consultation with the relevant local air districts, to develop and adopt air monitoring plans.  After the adoption of an air monitoring plan, the bill would have allowed the city or county to require the installation of continuous and periodic monitoring systems for hydrocarbon emissions from nonrefinery stationary sources.  The bill would have provided a funding mechanism to support such air monitoring.  The bill also would have required the Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM)—formerly known as the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources—in the Department of Conservation by January 1, 2021, to review and evaluate its existing regulations that apply to a sensitive production facility, as defined.  The bill also would have required CalGEM to update such regulations, as appropriate, and prioritize actions needed to reduce specified emissions from oil and gas operations and to ensure environmental justice goals are achieved.  Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have provided an income tax credit for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2021 and before January 1, 2026, to individuals and small businesses for the purchase of a backup generator for use in a residential or commercial property in a designated wildfire zone.  The bill would have limited the tax credit to 50 percent of the total cost incurred by the customer, not to exceed $7,000.  Was not heard in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee.

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