Amended in Assembly August 17, 2016

Amended in Assembly August 1, 2016

Amended in Senate March 28, 2016

Senate Bill No. 1425

Introduced by Senator Pavley

February 19, 2016

An act to add Part 6 (commencing with Section 71420) to Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, relating to greenhouse gases.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1425, as amended, Pavley. Water-energy nexus registry.

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. Existing law creates the California Environmental Protection Agency, consisting of various boards, offices, and departments, including the state board.

Existing law, until 2008, established the former California Climate Action Registry to carry out specified actions, including, among others, helping various entities in the state to establish emissions baselines, encourage voluntary actions to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and recognize, publicize, and promote participants in the registry.

This bill would require the agency to oversee the development of a registry for greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the water-energy nexus using the best available data. The bill would begin delete require end delete begin insert authorize end insert the agency to enter into a contract with begin delete the Climate Registry end delete begin insert a qualified nonprofit organization end insert to develop and administer the registry, which would include, among other things, the above-stated actions of the former California Climate Action Registry as those relate to the water-energy nexus.

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

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

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SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) Water and energy resources are inextricably connected. This
relationship is known as the water-energy nexus.

(b) The energy used to drive the state’s water system accounts
for nearly 20 percent of the total electricity usage and 30 percent
of nonpower-related natural gas consumed and includes, among
other things, the fuels used to power groundwater pumps,
transportation, and treatment and disposal systems for water and
wastewater; the heating and cooling of water in buildings and other
facilities; the delivery of water; and end uses. There are known
gaps in quantifying greenhouse gas emissions associated with that
energy usage.

(c) The water used to drive the state’s energy system represents
a substantial portion of our state water demand and includes, among
other things, the water used to turn turbines for hydropower, to
produce steam and cooling systems for thermoelectric power, and
to extract and refine oil and gas.

(d) Consequently, saving water saves energy and vice versa.

(e) Because the production of energy often results in the
emission of greenhouse gases, there is substantial potential for
emissions reductions in the water system.

(f) While energy usage has historically been a fundamental
element in the planning and development of the state’s water supply
systems, there are new opportunities for improving this linkage to
reduce water-related greenhouse gas emissions. New projects that
best serve water and energy investments can maximize greenhouse
gas emissions reductions.

(g) It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this measure,
to do both of the following:

(1) More closely integrate the planning for water and energy to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

(2) Recognize innovative projects and programs that reduce the
greenhouse gas intensity of our water system.

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begin delete SEC. 2. end delete

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

Part 6 (commencing with Section 71420) is added
to Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, to read:

 

PART 6.  Water-Energy Nexus Registry

 

71420.  

For purposes of this part, the following terms have the
following meanings:

(a) “Agency” means the California Environmental Protection
Agency.

begin delete

(b) “The Climate Registry” means the nonprofit organization
that is a successor to the California Climate Action Registry
(former Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 42800) of Part 4 of
Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, as added by Section 1
of Chapter 1018 of the Statutes of 2000).

end delete begin delete

(c)

end delete

begin insert (b) end insert  “Registry” means the water-energy nexus registry developed
pursuant to this part.

71422.  

(a) (1) The agency shall oversee the development of
a registry for greenhouse gas emissions that result from the
water-energy nexus using the best-available data.

(2) Participation in the registry shall be voluntary and open to
any entity conducting business in the state. A participating entity
may register its emissions, including emissions generated outside
of the state, on an entitywide basis and may utilize the services of
the registry.

(b) The agency begin delete shall end delete begin insert may end insert enter into a contract with begin delete the Climate
Registry end delete begin insert a qualified nonprofit organization end insert to do all of the
following:

(1) Develop, in consultation with the agency and other relevant
state agencies, the registry through a public stakeholder process,
as determined by the agency. In developing the registry, the
begin delete Climate Registry end delete begin insert chosen qualified nonprofit organization end insert shall
consider greenhouse gas emissions accounting methodologies
developed as part of programs authorized pursuant to the California
Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5
(commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code).

(2) Help participating entities in the state to establish emissions
baselines.

(3) Encourage voluntary actions to increase water and energy
efficiency measures to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the
state’s water system.

(4) Enable participating entities to record voluntary entitywide
greenhouse gas emissions reductions in a consistent format that is
supported by third-party verification.

(5) Recognize, publicize, and promote participating entities
making voluntary reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

(6) Recruit broad participation in the registry from all economic
sectors and regions of the state.

(7) Facilitate streamlined data reporting for relevant entities
already reporting to the Climate Registry as part of its voluntary
corporate greenhouse gas emissions reporting program.

71424.  

Entities participating in the registry may qualify for
financing opportunities that provide incentives to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and are consistent with Section 39712
of the Health and Safety Code.