Bill > AB603

This bill aims to streamline the development of renewable energy projects while ensuring environmental protections, particularly for endangered species. It modifies existing laws to allow for broader categories of renewable energy projects, including solar thermal, photovoltaic, wind, and geothermal powerplants, to be eligible for conservation plans and mitigation strategies developed under the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP). The DRECP is a conservation plan for the Mojave and Colorado Desert regions designed to protect plants and wildlife. The bill introduces a fee structure for developers of these eligible projects to fund mitigation actions, such as land acquisition and habitat restoration, managed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (the department). It also establishes a permit application fee for renewable energy projects to cover the department's costs in processing incidental take permits, which allow for the take of endangered species under certain conditions. Additionally, the bill allows for the development of natural community conservation plans in the San Joaquin Valley to facilitate renewable energy development on disturbed lands, and it includes provisions that temporarily modify environmental review requirements for certain renewable energy projects.