California Passes Bill to Include Geothermal in Streamlined Certification Program
A new bill has been signed into law in California, designating geothermal projects as eligible for a streamlined approval process under the CEQA.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law Assembly Bill 531, which seeks to include geothermal projects under the classification of “environmental leadership development projects,” and thus subject to a streamlined approval process under the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA).
The Act, sponsored by Rogers-D and Papan-D, amends Section 25545 of the Public Resources Code, which already grants benefits to solar PV, wind power, energy storage, and hydrogen production facilities.
Under the existing law, the Energy Commission’s certification is in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document required by any governmental agency and supersedes any applicable statute, ordinance, or regulation, except as specified.
Author's summary: California streamlines geothermal project approval.