California Air Resources Board

Summary

Extends requirements on electric investor-owned utilities and community choice aggregators to procure energy from biomass generating electric facilities by five years and requires extension of existing contracts by five years.

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Summary

Would have required the Office of Planning and Research, by January 1, 2025, to conduct and submit to the Legislature a study on the impacts and implementation of its guidelines relating to transportation impacts. The bill also would have required the Office of Planning and Research, upon appropriation, to establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to local jurisdictions for implementing those guidelines. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Deems a housing development project, as defined, as an allowable use on a parcel that is within a zone where office, retail, or parking are a principally permitted use, if specified conditions are met, including requirements relating to density, public notice, comment, hearing, or other procedures, site location and size, consistency with sustainable community strategy, prevailing wage, and a skilled and trained workforce.

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Summary 

Would have established the Geologic Carbon Sequestration Group in the California Geological Survey to provide independent expertise and regulatory guidance to the State Air Resources Board, including but not limited to, identification of suitable locations, appropriate subsurface monitoring, and hazards. Moved to the Assembly Inactive File.

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Summary 

Requires CARB to create the Carbon Capture, Removal, Utilization, and Storage Program to evaluate, demonstrate, and regulate carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects and technology. The bill requires CARB, on or before January 1, 2025, to adopt regulations creating a unified State permitting application for approval of CCUS and CDR projects. The bill also requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to publish a framework for governing agreements for two or more tracts of land overlying the same geologic storage reservoir for the purposes of a carbon sequestration project.

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Summary

Would have required the Strategic Growth Council (SGC), in consultation with the Department of Conservation and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), to develop and implement the Resilient Merced County Incentive Pilot Program (pilot program) to assist the County of Merced to use a scenario planning tool to estimate and account for the countywide greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and carbon sequestration potential of different land management, restoration, and conservation activities.  The bill would have also required SGC to implement the pilot program as a component of the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation and consistent with the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program. Additionally, the bill would have required SGC, in collaboration with DOC and CARB, to estimate and monitor the GHG reductions, carbon sequestration, and benefits associated with the County of Merced’s scenario planning pursuant to the pilot program. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required, among other things, that an economic impact assessment or a standardized regulatory impact analysis also include identification of each regulation enacted on or after a date that is 10 years prior to the date of the proposed regulations when the prior adopted regulations and located in the same title or division as the proposed regulations, and include a brief summary of any economic impact analysis previously performed with regard to those regulations.  Remains in the Senate Rules Committee.

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