SB836 - Electricity: transmission planning and permitting.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 836 Introduced by Senator Rubio February 21, 2025 An act to amend Section 25308 of the Public Resources Code, relating to electricity. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 836, as introduced, Rubio. Electricity: transmission planning and permitting. Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), on or before March 31, 2024, to provide transmission-focused guidance to the Independent System Operator about resource portfolios of expected future renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources, including the allocation of those resources by region based on technical feasibility and commercial interest in each region to allow the Independent System Operator to identify and approve transmission facilities needed to interconnect resources and reliably serve the needs of load centers, as specified . On December 23, 2022, the PUC, Energy Commission, and Independent System Operator entered into a memorandum of understanding related to resource and transmission planning, transmission development and permitting, procurement, and interconnections in order to achieve reliability and policy needs and to coordinate the timely development of resources, resource interconnections, and needed transmission infrastructure. Existing law requires the Energy Commission and PUC, in coordination with the Independent System Operator, every 5 years, to review and update, as necessary, the memorandum of understanding and a related workplan to ensure the memorandum and workplan reflect the coordination that is needed to help meet the state’s energy goals. This bill would require those entities to review and update, as necessary, the memorandum every 3 years, rather than every 5 years. 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 25308 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read: 25308. The commission and Public Utilities Commission, in coordination with the Independent System Operator, every five three years, shall review and update as necessary the Memorandum of Understanding Between the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the California Independent System Operator (ISO) Regarding Transmission and Resource Planning and Implementation (December 23, 2022) and the related workplan to ensure the memorandum and workplan reflect the coordination that is needed to help meet the state’s energy goals, including those goals described in Section 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code.