CalMatters
By Alejandro Lazo and Julie Cart, CalMatters
California lawmakers are crafting a package of proposed laws that could streamline the building of solar and wind energy projects, according to people familiar with the discussions.Democratic legislators, who have shared drafts with environmental groups, industry, lobbyists and other interested parties, are negotiating the details with Gov. Gavin Newsom. The talks among staff in the state Senate and Assembly and Newsom’s office are being held behind closed doors and the proposals are not yet public. California’s legislative session ends Aug. 31.
CalMatters obtained draft copies of five energy measures that Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire helped draft. They aim to revamp the way the state approves and supports solar, offshore wind, battery storage and other green energy projects.
Spokespersons for McGuire and Assembly Leader Robert Rivas, a Democrat from Salinas, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the proposals.
Simultaneously, the Newsom administration is working on a separate proposal that aims to make electric bills more affordable for Californians, two sources told CalMatters. No details were immediately available and a spokesperson for the governor declined to comment.
Electric rates have nearly doubled over the last decade. The state Public Utilities Commission overhauled the rate structure with a controversial new billing system this year.
The renewable energy proposals — a package internally called the “California Made” package — seek to offer incentives for building projects and their components in California. They would create tax credits, streamline local and state permitting and change how environmental reviews are conducted.
California is facing twin challenges: Meeting renewable energy targets mandated by law, as well as dealing with some of the highest energy bills in the country.
Under state law, 60% of California electricity must be generated by clean energy sources by 2030 and 100% by 2045 — a mandate critical to the state’s efforts to combat climate change.
One measure in the renewable energy package would provide a tax credit for certain renewable energy projects.
Another would grant “by right” approval to developers building in areas already zoned for them, eliminating the need for local approvals. Such proposals curtailing local control have proven controversial with city and county officials.
Under another proposal, state officials would conduct a “master” environmental review, which would serve as a comprehensive, umbrella analysis addressing large-scale issues like air emissions and cumulative impacts. Developers then would have to conduct more limited reviews of their specific projects.
Two additional proposals — one specifically for offshore wind projects and one for other renewable energy projects — would consolidate the permitting process by creating a “one stop shop” system that would consolidate applications, hearings and decision-making.
Local opposition and environmental reviews have held up large solar projects and transmission projects for years, and permitting reform was taken up earlier this year by the state Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform.
Steven R. Bohlen, an energy expert and senior director for government and external affairs at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, reviewed the proposed legislation obtained by CalMatters. He said they address many concerns, and are “headed in the right direction.” But he added that timelines should be added.
“Though the legislative proposals create a path for streamlining, there is still no statutory requirement that each agency respond with a certain period of time, or that the overall process be limited to a certain period of time, provided all the appropriate information were submitted by the applicant,” he wrote to CalMatters in an email.
“As written, the streamlined process could still be slow, even though it is being conducted under the ‘streamlined’ process.”
Permitting reform has become a mantra for California’s newest renewable industry — floating offshore wind. The complexities of creating the new industry are enormous: creating an extensive system of ports and greatly expanding power transmission infrastructure.
Each of the five federal projects off the coast of California will have to navigate overlapping jurisdictions and duplicative reviews with a thicket of federal, state, tribal and local agencies. The process, especially with an industry that has never operated in the state before, is slow.
Policymakers use the word “urgency” to describe efforts to expedite offshore wind power, since they are critical for meeting California’s goal to decarbonize the electricity grid.
According to the California Energy Commission,“under current federal, state, and local project review processes, the environmental and permit reviews for offshore wind facilities could take more than 10 years to complete.”
Legislators this year are already trying to tackle the rising costs of electricity.
Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, a Democrat from Irvine and chair of the Assembly standing committee on utilities and energy, amended a bill to direct state officials to “produce an affordability metric” for future electric rate increases.
Petrie-Norris told Politico in June the goal is to shave $10 off consumers’ bills. The bill passed the Assembly and was amended in the Senate, and is now undergoing more debate. A spokesperson for Petrie-Norris’ office declined to comment.
This article was originally published by CalMatters.
Anonymous: Thank you so much.
David0593: Have you lived in other states? Look around you: not only do we live in Santa Barbara, an incredible atmospheric microcosm, where a brief 90° flash on the thermometer brings terror, while everywhere around us is perishing in heat, fire, floods, but in California, which has what other states, and even our government, aspire to achieve. California does everything FIRST. Yes, we make mistakes, but we, at least, try. When you visit other states, it’s like entering the dark ages. I’ve lived in California for most of my life, after experiencing existence in various other states, and I am so grateful to be here. My husband and I thank God everyday when we look out our windows at our small glimpse of the ocean, look at each other and say, “Another day in paradise.”
I agree with you. Our area is absolute paradise. My point is we are being over regulated it causing housing,utilities,insurance,groceries and everything else to become unaffordable. I am fortunate enough to absorb these increases however most people are being adversely affected by over regulation.
greytfull: Great comment.
California wants to reduce regulations to speed up permitting and construction.
It’s a no brainer. They should never have all these regulations to begin with. They talk about the housing crisis all the time. They should reduce regulations on those as well.
We are over regulated, overtaxed, and underrepresented. California is a shit show.
Absolutely! So when are you leaving? A lot of people are struggling with housing costs right now, and you leaving would not only open up a place for somebody who doesn’t think California is a “shit show” (such novel creative writing!); it would also make the state a better place. Have you decided where you’re going? Do you need help packing? Don’t let the door hit you on your way out!
Deregulation would alleviate much of the housing crisis. Get the government out of the way. Export 40 million illegals and see how fast rents drop. Landlords would be clamoring for tenants and drop prices. 15 million illegals in the last 3 1/2 years with 4.5 million housing units built. It’s not rocket science
We’ll see. The state has already eliminated a lot of regulations on housing (and eliminated single-family neighborhoods), and the city is looking at expediting the process here (in conjunction with the banning of new hotels outside of the waterfront). But sadly, all the deregulation possible would not result in affordable housing – ownership or rental. It would only result in lack of adequate upfront review, and the housing crisis would not be affected. Developers like to blame regulations, and MAGA-types think all of the nation’s problems are caused by “illegals,” but it’s largely greed.
Have you tried to get a building permit, the state has definitely not eliminated any regulations. If you wanted to build a house today, it would be two years before you could start construction and that’s a maybe.
Logic failure.
D should get his head out his con bubble of falsehoods.
40 million lies is an underestimate of what you low-information types believe.
If you don’t think there’s 40 million illegals in the United States you must be blind.
Total horse manure. Shoveling that stuff went out of fashion over 200 years ago.
What’s your guess?
What do immigrants have to do with renewable energy?
You think that the Department of Homeland Security is lying about this? Just look at what they have to say about it, closer to 12m. So you are only exaggerating by 3.5x
😂 12 million in the last 3.5 years alone.
Here’s a classic example of over regulation.
https://www.noozhawk.com/tensions-rise-over-proposed-biltmore-renovations/
Classic example of preserving Santa Barbara from billionaire exploitation.
oVer ReGuLaTiOn OvEr ReGuLaTiOn oVer ReGuLaTiOn OvEr ReGuLaTiOn oVer ReGuLaTiOn OvEr ReGuLaTiOn
It’s a mantra, what people on the right use instead of thinking and knowledge.
So you/re saying that the Department of Homeland Security is lying. And that they were lying the entire time that they were run by a Trump appointee….LOL
Even Trump says only 11 million … and Politifact agrees: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/jun/11/marco-rubio/there-arent-20-million-to-30-million-immigrants-in/
The fact is that nothing you have said here is based on information, just on your emotions, which are driven by xenophobia and other dark qualities.
“If you don’t think there’s 40 million illegals in the United States you must be blind.”
Not that you had any in the first place, but if you had any credibility this comment would completely destroy it. Not accepting a number that you made up, one in no way based on fact, that you even say is a guess, does not mean that one is blind. How can one *see* a population of 40 million *anything*? This is not the sort of thing that can be seen … it must be determined from the sort of fact-finding processes that you clearly have never engaged in and know nothing about.
You’re essentially saying “You’re blind if you don’t agree with my ridiculous claim.” … sorry, but anyone who says such thing has nothing to contribute to good faith discussion.
My dog that’s one of the dumbest things I’ve read in an Edhat comment. You clearly have no respect for numbers or reality. Besides, this article is about renewable energy in California. Why are you polluting a discussion about our state with your manic xenophobia that has zero relevance to anything on the ground?
If you had any decency you’d ask the moderator to eliminate your comments.
“It’s not rocket science”
No, but it’s vastly beyond your meager capabilities. “exporting” 40 million low paid manual laborers (which would be done by the government intruding on their lives, not getting out of the way–but you don’t care about *those* lives–and only about 11 million of those people are undocumented) would have a massive negative effect on the economy.
https://theconversation.com/why-mass-deportations-are-costly-and-hurt-the-economy-73504
Why would I move. I love it here. I just feel sorry for the poor people and the poor working class who cannot afford it. over regulation has caused California to become unaffordable for most people.
No, you don’t give a fig about them.
oVer ReGuLaTiOn OvEr ReGuLaTiOn oVer ReGuLaTiOn OvEr ReGuLaTiOn oVer ReGuLaTiOn OvEr ReGuLaTiOn
It’s a mantra, what people on the right use instead of thinking and knowledge.
Absolutely! There is no need for any government at all!
Who needs laws, roads, infrastructure, and safety regulations on food and drugs?
We should just let our corporate benefactors do whatever they want in the name of profit.
What a load of horse puckey these cons always dump on the comment sections!
There’s a difference between sensible regulation and over regulation. Yes get government out of the way and let free market do its thing. As the article headline reads “ California Lawmakers Negotiating Sweeping Package to Speed Up Solar, Wind Energy”. Overregulation , too many rules, too many hoops to jump through, stifles progress and raises costs on everything.
“There’s a difference between sensible regulation and over regulation. ”
There is, but you have no idea what it is. For you, all regulation is oVer ReGuLaTiOn.
“Yes get government out of the way and let free market do its thing.”
IOW, no regulation at all.
Your understanding of economics is that of a 10 year old who read Ayn Rand and never went beyond that.
Be happy–leave.
I’m not leaving. I love it here.
Well heck, then be happy.
I am!
Happy and gullible.
https://www.noozhawk.com/tensions-rise-over-proposed-biltmore-renovations/
Classic example of government over regulation.
Here’s a thought – people can love their life, where they live, and also want to find ways to improve what they see happening around them where they live. Is that so wild a concept? So weird that they should just pack up and leave?? I disagree with that notion.
Yest you often suggest it.
No, not even. It’s the usual couple of ultralibs here that are always telling a few of us that we should love it or leave it as far as SB/CA is concerned. It’s a broken record. Anytime someone expresses a criticism or idea for change and improvement that doesn’t fall into the lib status quo, they shout out ‘that’s the way it is around here – it’s a our thing…just take off to a red state if you don’t like it!’
…which is an absurd concept if you think about it. Talk about narrow-minded. Very ‘us vs. them’. That’s what’s making our government stall out in the US. Extreme on both sides, unwillingness to compromise, or even discuss. Lots of BS name-calling and antagonism, but hey…it’s who some people are I guess. See Dalgorfs comments for example, always sour. Always reactive. Never contributing anything to the conversation.
Yet you often suggest it.
What would he be without complete and utter hypocrisy.
“They should never have all these regulations to begin with. ”
Yeah, nothing good should ever exist. We should live in the hellhole that right wingers dream of.
This must be some new record here. 41 comments and not a single one about the article, especially with it being on a subject of significant contention. Nice to not see all the FUD and lies about renewables for once, though!
Note that solar farms are three times more efficient than rooftop solar. Taxpayer dollars should be spent in best manner – farms.
Note that distributed generation in the form of local grids is much more resilient to disaster then megaprojects, and can easily fit into existing urban and suburban footprints without gobbling up open space. We already produce more solar energy that we can usefully distribute over existing powerline infrastructure – large solar farms only exacerbate the problems involved.