California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have authorized a State agency to enter into forward contracts to purchase low-carbon cement or concrete products up to 10 years in advance to facilitate the commercialization of these products. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the California Energy Commission (CEC), in consultation with CARB and the California Public Utilities Commission, on or before June 30, 2024, to convene a stakeholder workgroup to examine challenges and opportunities associated with using a battery electric vehicle and bidirectional electric vehicle service equipment as a mobile battery to power a home or building to provide electricity to the electrical grid, and requires the CEC, in consultation with the stakeholder workgroup, on or before January 1, 2026, to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature that includes specified information related to the bidirectional capability of battery electric vehicles and electric vehicle service equipment, as specified. The bill would have also authorized CARB to require any weight class of battery electric vehicle to be bidirectional capable if it determines there is a sufficiently compelling beneficial bidirectional-capable use case to the battery electric vehicle operator and electrical grid. Was amended to deal with an abortion issue.

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Summary

Authorizes the California Energy Commission (CEC), in consultation with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and CARB, to require any weight class of battery electric vehicle (BEV) to be bidirectional-capable if the CEC determines there is a sufficiently compelling beneficial bidirectional-capable use case to the BEV operator and electrical grid. Authorizes the CEC and CARB to periodically update definitions related to BEVs and service equipment. SB 233 (Skinner) was the original version of this bill that gutted and amended to address an abortion issue.

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Governor’s Signing Message

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am signing Senate Bill 59, which would authorize the California Energy Commission (CEC), in consultation with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), to require any weight class of battery electric vehicle (BEV) to be bidirectional-capable if it determines there is a sufficiently compelling beneficial bidirectional-capable use case to the BEV operator and electric grid.

Bidirectional capabilities in BEVs have the potential to improve customer energy reliability, resiliency and demand management during electric grid stress events, while supporting our state's transition to zero-emission transportation. Achieving these outcomes requires close technical alignment between the BEV and bidirectional charging equipment that must also factor in vehicle standards generally, as well as electric rates and potential electric grid effects.

Given the technical complexities of bidirectional charging with BEVs, and the relationship between such standards and vehicle standards already set by CARB, I am directing the CEC to lean on the experience of the CPUC and CARB should it promulgate regulations pursuant to this bill to advance bidirectional-capable BEVs.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

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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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Summary

Requires the California Energy Commission (CEC), in consultation with CARB and the California Public Utilities Commission, on or before June 30, 2024, to convene a stakeholder workgroup to examine challenges and opportunities associated with using a battery electric vehicle and bidirectional electric vehicle service equipment as a mobile battery to power a home or building to provide electricity to the electrical grid, and requires CEC, in consultation with the stakeholder workgroup, on or before January 1, 2026, to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature that includes specified information related to the bidirectional capability of battery electric vehicles and electric vehicle service equipment, as specified. The bill also authorizes CARB to require any weight class of battery electric vehicle to be bidirectional capable if it determines there is a sufficiently compelling beneficial bidirectional-capable use case to the battery electric vehicle operator and electrical grid. Moved to the Assembly Inactive File.

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Summary 

Authorizes the CEC to set a maximum gross gasoline refining margin, petition a court to enjoin a refiner from exceeding the gross margin, and impose a civil penalty on a refiner for exceeding the gross margin. The bill requires CEC and CARB, by December 31, 2024, to prepare a Transportation Fuel Plan. The plan will be required to include how to ensure that the supply of petroleum and alternative transportation fuels is affordable, reliable, equitable, and adequate to meet the demand for those transportation fuels described in the most current scoping plan approved by the CARB.

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Summary

Requires CARB, in consultation with the California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, and the California Workforce Development Board, to conduct an evaluation on hydrogen and post the evaluation on CARB’s website by June 1, 2024, including policy recommendations to accelerate the production and use of hydrogen, and specifically to accelerate the production and use of green hydrogen, in California.

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Summary

Would have required the Department of General Services, on and after January 1, 2024, to develop criteria to evaluate bidders, at least in part, based on the number of zero-emission vehicles or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in their rental car fleet when seeking to award a contract for commercial rental car services.

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Summary

Prohibits by January 1 of a given year, the sale or distribution of bulk hydrofluorocarbon gases (HFCs) or bulk blends containing HFCs that exceed the specified global warming potential (GWP): shall not exceed 2,200 GWP by 2025; 1,500 GWP by 2030; and 750 GWP by 2033; unless the HFCs are reclaimed or for use in metered dose inhalers, as specified. This bill also prohibits the State from using refrigerants with a GWP greater than 750 that are not reclaimed to service existing equipment owned or operated by the State starting January 1, 2025. This bill also requires CARB to post an assessment on its internet website by 2025 specifying how to transition the State’s economy to ultra-low GWP or no-GWP alternatives no later than 2035. To achieve this transition, the bill requires CARB to initiate a rulemaking requiring low- and ultra-low GWP alternatives in all HFC sectors where it is practicable for entities in the sector to comply. The bill also states penalties for violations, among other provisions.

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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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