AB 585: Climate change: infrastructure and clean energy projects: assessments.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board (state board) as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as provided. Existing law requires the PUC and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to undertake specified actions to advance the states clean energy and pollution reduction objectives.

Existing law requires various state entities responsible for the states energy, climate change, and air quality goals to produce various reports relating to those duties.

Existing law finds and declares that the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) was organized as a nonprofit corporation at the request of the Legislature for the specific purpose of offering expert advice to the state government on public policy issues significantly related to science and technology.

Existing law creates the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development, known as GO-Biz, and requires GO-Biz to serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. Existing law authorizes GO-Biz to undertake various activities relating to economic development, including the provision of prescribed information.

This bill would request the CCST, in its discretion, every 3 years, to assess the infrastructure project types, scale, and pace necessary to achieve the states energy, climate change, and air quality goals, as specified. The bill would also require GO-Biz, in consultation with the Energy Commission, the PUC, and the state board, to prepare an assessment of the barriers, challenges, and impediments limiting the deployment and development of clean energy projects, as specified. The bill would require GO-Biz to submit this assessment to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2026. The bill would also require the assessment to be considered and incorporated into the work carried out by the Infrastructure Strike Team convened by the Governor.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.