SB 319: Electricity: transmission planning and permitting.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), on or before March 31, 2024, to provide transmission-focused guidance to the Independent System Operator about resource portfolios of expected future renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources, including the allocation of those resources by region based on technical feasibility and commercial interest in each region to allow the Independent System Operator to identify and approve transmission facilities needed to interconnect resources and reliably serve the needs of load centers, as specified.

On December 23, 2022, the PUC, Energy Commission, and Independent System Operator entered into a memorandum of understanding related to resource and transmission planning, transmission development and permitting, procurement, and interconnections in order to achieve reliability and policy needs and to coordinate the timely development of resources, resource interconnections, and needed transmission infrastructure.

This bill would require the Energy Commission and PUC, in coordination with the Independent System Operator, every 5 years, to review the memorandum of understanding and a related workplan to ensure the memorandum and workplan reflect the coordination that is needed to help meet the states energy goals.

This bill would require the Energy Commission, PUC, and Independent System Operator, on or before July 1, 2025, to jointly develop an electrical transmission infrastructure development guidebook that describes the states electrical transmission infrastructure planning and permitting processes conducted by the Energy Commission, PUC, and Independent System Operator, and to provide an opportunity for stakeholder input and public comment on the guidebook, as specified.

This bill would require the PUC, in consultation with California balancing authorities, on or before December 1, 2024, and biennially thereafter, to submit a report to the Legislature that includes specified information related to electrical transmission projects.