Amended in Senate April 25, 2016

Amended in Senate April 7, 2016

Amended in Senate March 29, 2016

Senate Bill No. 1153

Introduced by Senator Cannella

February 18, 2016

An act to add Section 38561.5 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1153, as amended, Cannella. Greenhouse gases: scoping plan: biomethane.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act requires the state board to prepare and approve a scoping plan for achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and to update the scoping plan at least once every 5 years.

This bill would require the state board, as a part of the update to the scoping plan and in consultation with other state entities, to provide a comprehensive overview of state efforts to encourage the development of begin delete instate end delete begin insert in-state end insert biomethane and renewable natural gas.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) California has enacted numerous policies to reduce the
emissions of greenhouse gases and increase the use of renewable
energy resources and renewable fuels.

(b) California has numerous programs to incentivize and
encourage the development of biogas, biomethane, and renewable
natural gas projects.

(c) Despite a regulatory environment encouraging renewable
energy production and greenhouse gases emissions reductions, the
development of biomethane and other renewable natural gas
projects continues to lag in the state.

(d) Obstacles to increased biomethane and renewable natural
gas projects should be identified and addressed.

(e) Investments in dairy waste digesters, landfill diversion
programs, and anaerobic digesting at wastewater treatment facilities
provide significant reductions in the emissions of greenhouse gases,
including methane, for the state.

(f) A coordinated effort by state agencies should be undertaken
to address remaining obstacles and identify additional incentive
programs, if needed, to encourage the increased development of
begin delete instate end delete begin insert in-state end insert biomethane and renewable natural gas projects.

SEC. 2.  

Section 38561.5 is added to the Health and Safety
Code, to read:

38561.5.  

As a part of the update of the scoping plan required
pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 38561, the state board, in
consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, the Department
of Food and Agriculture, the State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission, the Department of Resources
Recycling and Recovery, and any other relevant state entity, shall
provide a comprehensive overview of state efforts to encourage
the development of begin delete instate end delete begin insert in-state end insert biomethane and renewable
natural gas. The overview shall include, but not be limited to, all
of the following:

(a) The role of biomethane and renewable natural gas in the
state’s efforts to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases.

(b) The estimated amount of begin insert biomethane and end insert renewable natural
gas that can begin delete cost-effectively end delete begin insert feasibly end insert be developed from the state’s
organic waste streams, including the waste, agricultural, dairy, and
forestry sectors.

(c)  begin delete Estimated end delete begin insert The estimated end insert cost-effectiveness of the begin insert production
of biomethane and renewable natural gas from the end insert various waste
streams.

(d)  begin delete Analysis end delete begin insert An analysis end insert of current market conditions for
begin insert biomethane and end insert renewable natural gas in California.

(e)  begin delete Overview end delete begin insert An overview end insert of current programs to encourage
development of biomethane and renewable natural gas.

(f) Identification of obstacles to increased development of begin delete instate end delete
begin insert in-state end insert biomethane and renewable natural gas.

(g) Identification of solutions for legislative consideration to
address obstacles identified in subdivision (f) and encourage
increased begin delete instate end delete begin insert in-state end insert biomethane and renewable natural gas
development, including, but not limited to, incentive programs
and grants, preferential loan programs to enhance project financing,
and market stabilization programs, such as contracts for differences,
tax credits, and biomethane purchase programs.