California Air Resources Board

Would have created the Gravity-Based Energy Storage Well Pilot Program and authorized the Supervisor of the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) to authorize the conversion of 1,000 wells for use as gravity-based energy storage wells, as defined. Would have required the California Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with entities operating these wells, CalGEM, CARB, and other specified entities, to evaluate the pilot program and make recommendations to the Legislature for a framework to implement a permanent program, as specified. Would have required a well operator to notify CalGEM, CARB, the appropriate regional water quality board, and any schools or community members within 3,200 feet of the well in the event of a loss of mechanical integrity or a fluid leak and required CalGEM to consult with CARB and the State Water Resources Control board on criteria for fluid leak monitoring and reporting. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Prohibits the sale of leaded aviation gasoline beginning January 1, 2031, in compliance with Section 47107 of Title 49 of United States Code.

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Removes reported emissions of greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants, and toxic air contaminants from all sectors covered by the scoping plan that CARB must report on annually to the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies and instead requires the report to contain unspecified topics related to the scoping plan. The bill also removes these topics from the informational report CARB must present at an annual meeting of the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies and instead requires the report presented to cover topics related to the Scoping Plan, as directed by the joint committee. Finally, the bill removes a requirement for the report to evaluate emissions trends and instead include programs that may influence the implementation of the Scoping Plan.

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Would have required CARB to annually produce an assessment of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the transportation of oil in California, as specified, and to include the assessment on CARB's internet website. Requires the California Energy Commission to provide specified data to CARB consistent with existing law on confidentiality of business records. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Would have made it unlawful for a person to certify or issue a voluntary carbon offset, to maintain a voluntary carbon offset on a registry, or to market or sell a voluntary carbon offset under specified circumstances. Would have included when the person knows or should know that: the greenhouse gas reductions or removal enhancements are unlikely to be quantifiable, real, additional, meet the durability commitment made by the project operator, or last less than 1,000 years. Would have created an exception if the person explicitly markets the offsets with that information and specifies the provisions of the bill do not apply to compliance credits or registry offset credits. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Requires CARB in the next update to the Scoping Plan to include a discussion of the state of technologies for decarbonization of industrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Requires this discussion to include industrial sources for which there are zero-emission alternatives currently technologically available, industrial sources for which there are and are not zero-emission alternatives currently available. The bill sunsets on January 1, 2029.

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This bill requires airports with greater than 50,000 takeoffs to report to CARB by June 1, 2024, on measures they are taking to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions and requires CARB to approve the report or deem it insufficient. The bill requires CARB to develop a public process with local air districts to discuss options for remedying the report, which the airport must resubmit within 120 days. The bill requires CARB to notify the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) upon approval of a report and requires GO-Biz to provide technical assistance to qualified airports. The bill requires airports with greater than 50,000 private takeoffs to report to relevant local air districts on their efforts to mitigate impacts to disadvantaged communities. Bill was amended to deal with gas corporations.

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Would have eliminated the requirement for CARB to credit dairy methane projects for a minimum of 10 years and prohibited CARB from guaranteeing those credits if they would not otherwise generate credits in the program. The bill also would have required CARB to include new specific emissions when calculating a carbon intensity value for dairy methane projects, limited credit generation to historical herd size, and required public disclosure of specified information in fuel pathway applications from dairy methane projects. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Would have clarified that incidental and unintentional expulsion of residual oil from injection of carbon dioxide fluid as part of a carbon capture and sequestration project shall not be considered enhanced oil recovery and would have prohibited the sale or trade of that residual oil. Did not receive a vote in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Would have required CARB to adopt regulations or utilize existing programs and regulations to ensure the State achieves carbon dioxide removals equivalent to at least 100% of GHG emissions by 2045. The bill would have required CARB to only certify carbon dioxide removal processes that meet specified requirements, including that they be consistent with statutory requirements for geologic storage projects. Would have required CARB to conduct a community engagement process, as specified, before adopting a regulation pursuant to the bill. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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