Proposed bill seeks to expedite geothermal project approval in California

Geothermal plant, Salton Sea/ California (source: flickr/ monikomad, creative commons)

A new bill authored by Assemblymember Diane Papan seeks to streamline the development of geothermal energy projects in the state of California by changing outdated provisions related to project approval. Assembly Bill (AB) 1359 has just been approved by the State Legislature and is now headed to the Governor’s desk for signature.

Under current law, the drilling of exploratory wells for geothermal projects is treated as a separate project under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), with the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) designated as the lead agency. However, due to CalGEM’s resource constraints and backlog, geothermal exploration projects have faced multi-year delays, stalling the development of advanced geothermal power across the state.

AB 1359 addresses this issue by allowing applicants for projects to request that a county in which a project is located act as the lead agency for CEQA review in lieu of CalGEM. By allowing counties to assume this role, this aligns geothermal exploration with the CEQA process for other renewable energy projects. This change will enable geothermal developers to proceed more efficiently, facilitating the exploration and development of geothermal resources.

“Geothermal energy is a critical component of California’s strategy to eliminate fossil fuels and mitigate climate change,” said Assemblymember Papan. “By modernizing the regulatory framework, AB 1359 will help unlock the full potential of geothermal energy, providing a constant, reliable source of clean power that complements other renewable sources like wind and solar.”

The new Assembly Bill is the latest in a growing list of policies that aim to help facilitate the faster development of geothermal energy projects in the United States. The streamlining of approval processes is a particularly important issue that is being addressed with recent proposals, such as a bipartisan bill that seeks to apply a categorical exclusion for geothermal exploration projects.

Source: Email correspondence