Air resources: carbon emissions: biomass.

Senator Caballero's biomass emissions legislation directs California agencies to develop new systems for measuring and managing carbon outputs from forest and agricultural materials. The bill requires the State Air Resources Board to create standardized methods for quantifying emissions from fuel reduction activities by 2027 and establish life-cycle emissions measurements for alternative biomass uses by 2028.

Under the measure, the Air Resources Board must evaluate carbon credit protocols for biochar and other carbon removal products derived from agricultural and forest biomass. If deemed appropriate through this assessment, the board would incorporate these protocols into its compliance offset program by 2029. The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection must require state-funded forest health projects to include scientifically-verified plans specifying amounts of biomass for physical removal versus prescribed burning.

The legislation also directs the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to document potential applications of agricultural and forest biomass for producing low- and negative-carbon fuels through non-combustion methods. The bill defines agricultural biomass resources as crop, orchard, vineyard and other agricultural residues, excluding crops grown specifically for energy or food. Forest biomass resources encompass materials removed during wildfire mitigation, forest restoration, and protection of public infrastructure.