Bill > AB2239

This bill aims to accelerate the process of connecting new electrical generation and energy storage facilities to the grid, particularly in areas facing infrastructure limitations. It requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to designate "infrastructure-constrained energization areas" based on factors like limited infrastructure, geography, and long connection times. Within these areas, the PUC will be authorized to allow "over-the-fence transactions," where electricity can be directly supplied from one parcel to adjacent ones without using the electrical corporation's distribution system, under specific conditions and if the electrical corporation cannot meet connection timelines. The bill also mandates the PUC to establish procedures for faster development and permitting of both generation facilities and the necessary electrical infrastructure owned by utility companies in these constrained areas, and requires the Independent System Operator (ISO), which manages the state's power grid, to consider economic development and infrastructure constraints in its planning and to streamline processes for projects in these designated areas. Furthermore, it exempts certain qualifying electrical generation or energy storage projects within these areas from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, provided they meet specific criteria like size and location, and it imposes penalties on electrical corporations that fail to meet established energization timelines or targets, unless they can demonstrate good cause.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2239