Solar-use easements: suspension of Williamson Act contracts: terms of easement: termination.

Assembly Member Wicks proposes substantial changes to California's solar-use easement framework, expanding eligible land uses while streamlining the conversion process from Williamson Act contracts. The legislation redefines solar-use easements to encompass energy storage and appurtenant renewable facilities, moving beyond the current limitation to photovoltaic installations.

The bill transfers initiation authority for easement eligibility determinations from local governments to landowners and broadens qualification criteria. Land with insufficient water resources for viable agriculture would now qualify, and restrictions on converting prime farmland would be eliminated. The Department of Conservation must issue determinations within 120 days, with applications deemed approved if not rejected within that period.

Local jurisdictions retain authority to impose conditions on solar-use easements, including requiring developers to enter community benefits agreements covering job creation, local business utilization, and financial contributions to community projects. The legislation removes existing requirements for mitigation measures and performance bonds while maintaining landowner obligations to restore property to its original condition upon easement termination. While the entry into solar-use easements would be exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review, the photovoltaic facilities themselves remain subject to environmental analysis.

The measure establishes a minimum 20-year term for easements, reducible to 10 years at landowner request, with provisions for automatic annual renewal absent 90-day advance notice of nonrenewal. Rather than requiring rescission of Williamson Act contracts, affected parcels would see their contracts rendered inoperative for the duration of the solar-use easement, automatically reactivating upon easement termination.