Williamson Act contracts: cancellation fees: photovoltaic solar facilities.
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Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill modifies regulations surrounding solar-use easements on agricultural land in California. It expands the allowable uses of these easements to include solar energy storage and related renewable energy facilities, and changes the process for determining eligibility for these easements. Specifically, it requires the Department of Conservation to determine eligibility based on factors like insufficient water availability and historical land use, and mandates that the department issue its determination within 120 days. The bill also includes provisions for community benefits agreements and prohibits the issuance of construction notices that violate the easement.
Key provisions
- Expands allowable uses of solar-use easements to include solar energy storage and appurtenant renewable energy facilities.
- Requires the Department of Conservation to determine parcel eligibility for conversion to a solar-use easement, instead of requiring a county or city request.
- Adds criteria for parcel eligibility, including insufficient surface or groundwater availability and historical cropland status.
- Requires the Department of Conservation to issue a determination of eligibility within 120 days.
- Mandates notification to relevant workforce prior to entering into a solar-use easement agreement.
- Requires community benefits agreements to be established in conjunction with Williamson Act suspensions.
- Prohibits the issuance of construction notices that violate a solar-use easement.
- Requires mitigation measures for solar-use easements to have an essential nexus and be roughly proportional to the impact being mitigated.
Bill text
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1 on record
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