SB 654
California Environmental Protection Agency: contract: registry: greenhouse gas emissions that result from the water-energy nexus.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Appropriations
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- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
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Bill overview
This bill changes how the California Environmental Protection Agency manages a registry tracking greenhouse gas emissions linked to water and energy use. Instead of contracting with a nonprofit to develop the registry, the agency will now administer it and enter into a new contract with a qualified nonprofit. This new contract will be limited to $2 million and a three-year term, with the goal of increasing participation from all sectors and regions of the state to improve water and energy efficiency.
Key provisions
- The California Environmental Protection Agency will administer the greenhouse gas emissions registry.
- A new contract with a qualified nonprofit is authorized, limited to $2 million and a three-year term.
- The contract aims to increase participation from all economic sectors and regions of the state.
- The nonprofit will provide technical support and climate action planning to assist with reduction strategies.
- The registry will support streamlined data reporting for entities already reporting to the Climate Registry.
- The bill removes obsolete language related to registry development.
Who is affected
- Businesses in California
- Water users throughout the state
- The California Environmental Protection Agency
- Nonprofit organizations
- State agencies
Notable changes
- Replaces a contract for registry development with a contract for administration.
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SB654:v99#DOCUMENT
Bill Start
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 654
| Introduced by Senator Stern |
| February 20, 2025 |
An act to amend Section 71422 of the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental protection.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 654, as introduced, Stern. California Environmental Protection Agency: contract: registry: greenhouse gas emissions that result from the water-energy nexus.
Existing law establishes the California Environmental Protection Agency in state government and requires the agency to oversee the development of a registry for greenhouse gas emissions that result from the water-energy nexus using the best available data. Existing law provides that participation in the registry is voluntary and open to any entity conducting business in the state. Existing law authorizes the agency to enter into a contract with a qualified nonprofit organization to do specified things, including to recruit broad participation in the registry from all economic sectors and regions of the state. Existing law limits the term of the term of the contract to 3 years, except as provided.
This bill would instead require the agency to oversee the administration of the above-described registry and would authorize the agency to enter into a new contract, limited to a term of 3 years and with a total budget of $2,000,000, to do specified things, including to recruit broad participation in the registry from all economic sectors and regions of the state to meet the different needs of water users throughout the state by various means, as provided. The bill would remove obsolete language related to the development of the registry, as provided.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 71422 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:
71422.
(a) (1) The agency shall oversee the development administration 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 may enter into a contract with a qualified nonprofit organization 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 chosen qualified nonprofit organization 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)
(1) Help participating entities in the state to establish emissions baselines.
(3)
(2) Encourage voluntary actions to increase water and energy efficiency measures to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the state’s water system.
(4)
(3) Enable participating entities to record voluntary entitywide greenhouse gas emissions reductions in a consistent format that is supported by third-party verification.
(5)
(4) Recognize, publicize, and promote participating entities making voluntary reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.
(6)
(5) Recruit broad participation in the registry from all economic sectors and regions of the state. state to meet the different needs of water users throughout the state by various means, including, but not limited to, workshops, trainings, and other similar activities, technical support for reporting of emissions, and climate action planning to assist with reduction strategies and improve water and energy efficiency.
(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.
(c) (1)The contract authorized pursuant to subdivision (b) (b), as it read on January 1, 2025, shall be limited to a term of three years. The contract authorized pursuant to subdivision (b), as amended pursuant to the bill adding this sentence, shall be limited to a term of three years and a total budget of two million dollars ($2,000,000).
(2)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the term of the contract may be extended for one year upon the agreement of both parties to the contract.