Bill Text: CA AB941 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: California Environmental Quality Act: electrical infrastructure projects.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-20 - From printer. May be heard in committee March 22. [AB941 Detail]
Download: California-2025-AB941-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 941
| Introduced by Assembly Member Zbur |
February 19, 2025 |
An act to add Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 2845) to Part 2 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 941, as introduced, Zbur.
California Environmental Quality Act: electrical infrastructure projects.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA exempts certain projects from its requirements, including actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency.
Existing law prohibits an
electrical corporation from beginning the construction of a line, plant, or system, or extensions of those facilities without first obtaining from the Public Utilities Commission a certificate that the present or future convenience and necessity require or will require the construction. Existing law specifies that the certificate is not required for the extension, expansion, upgrade, or other modification of existing electrical transmission facilities.
This bill would require the commission to determine whether to certify the environmental impact report for an electrical infrastructure project that is a priority project, as defined, no later than 270 days after the commission determines that an application for an electrical infrastructure project is complete, except as specified. The bill would require a project applicant to identify an electrical infrastructure project that is a priority project and the basis for the designation in the application to the
commission. The bill would require commission staff to review an application for a priority project no later than 30 days after it is filed and notify the applicant in writing of any deficiencies in the information and data submitted in the application. The bill would require the applicant to correct any deficiencies or notify the commission in writing why it is unable to, as specified, within 60 days of that notification. The bill would require the commission to deem an application for a priority project complete with a preliminary ruling setting the scope and schedule, as provided.
Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because a violation of a commission action implementing this bill’s requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The
California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 2845) is added to Part 2 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code, to read:CHAPTER 8.5. Electrical Infrastructure Projects
Article 1. Definitions
2845.
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:(a) “Applicant” means the entity proposing an electrical infrastructure project.
(b) “California Environmental Quality Act” or “CEQA” means Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code and guidelines adopted pursuant to that division.
(c) “Electrical infrastructure project” or “project” means a project for the construction and operation of an electrical transmission line or power line, as defined by the commission’s General Order 131-E, and associated infrastructure, including substations and ancillary facilities, that requires discretionary
approval by the commission pursuant to Section 1001 or the commission’s General Order 131-E or its successor.
(d) “Priority project” means any electrical infrastructure project that is one or more of the following:
(1) Approved by the Independent System Operator in a transmission plan.
(2) For the purpose of interconnection of renewable generation resources to the electrical grid.
(3) A system upgrade project included in a Independent System Operator cluster study.
(4) Substation projects identified as necessary to support anticipated load growth as a result of the electrification of the state’s energy supply.
Article 2. General Provisions
2845.10.
(a) For a priority project, no later than 270 days after the commission determines in a preliminary ruling setting the scope and schedule that an application for an electrical infrastructure project is complete, the commission shall determine whether to certify the environmental impact report, adopt a negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or an addendum, or determine that the project is exempt from CEQA, and make a final determination regarding the project.(b) The time period specified in subdivision (a) may be extended if any of the following occurs:
(1) The commission is required to recirculate the environmental impact report pursuant to Section 15088.5 of
Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
(2) Substantial changes are proposed in the project that may involve new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects.
(3) Substantial changes occur with respect to the circumstances under which the project is undertaken that may involve new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects.
(4) New information of substantial importance, that was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence before the commission publishes the notice of availability, is submitted that may require additional analysis and consideration.
(c) An
applicant shall identify an electrical infrastructure project that is a priority project and the basis for the designation in the application to the commission.
2845.11.
For a priority project, all of the following shall apply:(a) No later than 30 days after the filing of an application, the commission staff shall review it and notify the applicant in writing of any deficiencies in the information and data submitted in the application.
(b) The applicant shall, within 60 days of notification pursuant to subdivision (a), correct any deficiencies or explain in writing to the commission staff why it is unable to do so and include an estimate of when it will be able to correct the deficiencies.
(c) As required by Section 65943 of the Government Code, the commission shall deem the application complete with
a preliminary ruling setting the scope and schedule as follows:
(1) No later than 30 days after submission of the application, except when the applicant is notified of deficiencies pursuant to subdivision (a).
(2) If the applicant is notified of deficiencies pursuant to subdivision (a), no later than 30 days after the applicant submits information in response to the notification, except when the applicant is notified during those 30 days that previously identified deficiencies remain.
(3) Immediately upon the commission’s determination that all additional information requested by the commission staff has been provided.
