Solid waste: organic waste: diversion: biomethane.

Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry's organic waste legislation adds pipeline biomethane to California's recovered organic waste products while establishing a formal definition of pyrolysis in state law. The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery must amend regulations by January 2027 to include biomethane converted exclusively from diverted organic waste as an eligible product that local jurisdictions can procure to meet their organic waste recovery targets.

The bill defines pyrolysis as the thermal decomposition of material at elevated temperatures with minimal or no oxygen present. This definition fills a gap in current law, which references but does not define the term in provisions regarding biomass conversion and waste diversion requirements.

Local jurisdictions retain the ability to charge fees covering their compliance costs and may adopt five-year procurement targets starting in 2027 rather than annual ones. The legislation maintains existing penalty schedules requiring jurisdictions to meet 30% of procurement targets by 2023, 65% by 2024, and 100% by 2025. Rural jurisdictions remain exempt from organic waste collection and procurement mandates until 2037, after which they may apply for additional five-year exemptions.

The Department may adopt emergency regulations to implement these changes, with such rules remaining in effect through January 2024. The bill also authorizes state financing entities to inform solid waste facility operators about funding opportunities for methane capture improvements.