Bill Text: CA AB615 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Power facilities: emergency response and action plans.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 3)
Status: (Vetoed) 2026-01-22 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB615 Detail]
Download: California-2025-AB615-Enrolled.html
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Enrolled
September 08, 2025 |
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Passed
IN
Senate
September 03, 2025 |
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Passed
IN
Assembly
September 04, 2025 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
July 14, 2025 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
May 05, 2025 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
April 22, 2025 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 615
| Introduced by Assembly Member Davies (Coauthor: Assembly Member Dixon) (Coauthor: Senator Strickland) |
February 13, 2025 |
An act to amend Section 25520 of, and to add Sections 25545.21 and 22545.22 to, the Public Resources Code, relating to energy.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 615, Davies.
Power facilities: emergency response and action plans.
Existing law requires an application to be filed with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission for certification of a site and related facility that includes an electrical transmission line or thermal powerplant, or both. Existing law requires the application to contain, among other
information, a description of any electrical transmission lines, a map of the proposed route and existing transmission lines, justification for the proposed route, and a preliminary description of the effect of the proposed electrical transmission lines on the environment, ecology, and scenic, historic, and recreational values, as specified.
This bill would remove the requirement that the application include the information described above, and would require that
the application also contain an emergency response and action plan, to be paid for by the applicant, that incorporates
impacts to the surrounding areas in the event of an emergency and that would be conducted and coordinated with local emergency management agencies, unified program agencies, and local first response agencies.
Existing law authorizes a person proposing an energy storage system to file an application for certification with the commission in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document required by any state, local, or regional agency, or federal agency, as provided.
The bill would require that
an application for an energy storage system also contain an emergency response and action plan, to be paid for by the applicant, that includes analysis and feedback from a
local emergency management agency. The bill would require the commission to ensure an energy storage system that submits an application after January 1, 2026, complies with setback requirements that are at least as protective as the most recently published edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 855, Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 25520 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:25520.
The application shall contain all of the following information and any other information that the commission by regulation may require:(a) A detailed description of the design, construction, and operation of the proposed facility.
(b) Safety and reliability information, including, in addition to documentation previously provided pursuant to Section 25511, planned provisions for emergency operations and shutdowns.
(c) Available site information, including maps and descriptions of present and proposed development and, as appropriate, geological, aesthetic, ecological, seismic, water supply, population, and load center data, and justification for the
particular site proposed.
(d) Any other information relating to the design, operation, and siting of the facility that the commission may specify.
(e) A description of the facility, the cost of the facility, the fuel to be used, the source of fuel, fuel cost, plant service life and capacity factor, and generating cost per kilowatthour.
(f) (1) An emergency response and action plan that incorporates impacts to the surrounding areas in the event of an emergency which would be conducted and coordinated with local emergency management agencies, unified program agencies, and local first response agencies.
(2) The emergency response and action plan shall be paid for by the applicant.
(g) This section does not alter the authority of the Public Utilities Commission to regulate the rates, services, or safety practices of a public utility or generating asset owner subject to its jurisdiction.
SEC. 2.
Section 25545.21 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:25545.21.
In addition to any other information that the commission requires, an application for an energy storage system shall contain all of the following information:(a) An emergency response and action plan that incorporates impacts to the surrounding areas in the event of an emergency that would be conducted and coordinated with local emergency management agencies, unified program agencies, and local first response agencies.
(b) The emergency response and action plan shall include analysis and feedback from a local emergency
management agency. The local emergency management agency’s feedback may include analysis of whether greater setbacks would be recommended for the proposed facility.
(c) The emergency response and action plan shall be paid for by the applicant.
(d) This section does not alter the authority of the Public Utilities Commission to regulate the rates, services, or safety practices of a public utility or generating asset owner subject to its jurisdiction.
