Energy & Environment

Establishes compensation of up to $200 per day for county air pollution control district board members. Limits annual board member compensation to $7,200 with potential increases based on inflation. Requires reimbursement for necessary expenses incurred during official board duties. Mandates board approval through open meeting resolutions for any compensation increases.

Increases penalties for recklessly causing fires by making most violations felonies instead of misdemeanors. Mandates prison sentences of up to 6 years and fines up to $10,000 for fires causing serious injury. Requires consecutive prison terms for inmates who commit fire-related offenses while incarcerated.

Extends Reclamation District No. 108's authority to generate and sell hydroelectric power indefinitely. Requires the district to submit a detailed operational and financial report to legislative committees by 2036. Restricts power sales to public utilities and agencies only, prohibiting direct sales to other customers. Mandates that electricity sale proceeds must first pay off construction costs before other district purposes.

Requires Public Utilities commissioners to attend 25% of ratesetting hearings to receive their salaries. Extends funding for deaf and disabled telecommunications programs through 2031 via surcharges. Continues transportation network companies' accessibility programs and fees through 2032. Mandates commissioners to appear at legislative hearings when requested by committee chairs.

Expands the California Wildfire Mitigation Program Board to include the Department of Insurance by July 2026. Requires state agencies to jointly manage programs for fire-resistant building upgrades and vegetation management. Delegates wildfire mitigation program responsibilities to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Makes technical changes to update place names, redefine water year dates, and remove obsolete provisions.

Requires the State Lands Commission to publish ballast water management data online starting April 2026. Changes vessel ballast water reporting from every two years to every three years. Mandates semiannual online updates of vessel compliance rates and water discharge data. Expands reporting requirements to include detailed vessel arrival and treatment information.

Allocates 10% of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to support community air quality improvement programs. Provides grants and technical assistance to help disadvantaged communities reduce air pollution. Requires continuous funding for air monitoring, emissions reduction, and community participation initiatives.

Simplifies EV charging station installation in common interest developments by removing HOA insurance requirements. Requires HOAs to process charging station applications within 60 days or the request is automatically approved. Imposes penalties up to $1,000 on HOAs that willfully violate EV charging station installation rights. Allows associations to create new parking spaces specifically for EV charging station installation.

Establishes a new way for developers to meet environmental requirements by funding transit-oriented housing projects. Allows developers to pay into a state fund based on the number of vehicle miles their projects generate. Requires funded housing projects to be built near transit stations to reduce car dependency. Prioritizes funding for housing developments located in the same city as the contributing project.

Expands net energy metering to include electricity generated from train regenerative braking systems. Requires utilities to provide billing credits for electricity exported from electric train braking. Mandates utilities to install and maintain specialized metering systems at their own cost. Designates the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board as an eligible customer-generator.

Establishes a new grant program to help local and tribal communities participate in offshore wind development. Requires offshore wind developers to provide 4 years of financial support for community engagement activities. Creates a dedicated funding account for community grants with public oversight and reporting requirements. Mandates equitable distribution of funds based on community needs and regular program evaluation.

Expands the Clean Transportation Program to fund projects preventing vandalism of public EV charging stations. Requires grant recipients to report operational data on charging station availability and usage quarterly. Prioritizes funding for projects that advance zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and combat charging cable theft.

Exempts vehicles that are 30 or more model years old from California's biennial smog check requirement. Expands the current smog check exemption which only applies to pre-1976 vehicles. Maintains existing exemptions for collector vehicles that meet specific insurance and inspection criteria.

Prohibits utilities from charging ratepayers for political activities and promotional advertising expenses. Requires utilities to clearly disclose whether shareholders or ratepayers are funding their advertising. Mandates annual public reporting of political and promotional spending starting April 2026. Establishes penalties up to $10,000 per violation for utilities that improperly charge ratepayers.

Requires utilities to disclose state-mandated costs on customer bills to increase transparency. Mandates quarterly disclosure of state program costs in visible font on billing statements. Enforces compliance through criminal penalties under existing utility regulations.

Designates solar energy as California's official state energy alongside other state symbols like the golden poppy. Recognizes California's leadership in solar energy with over 2 million solar installations statewide. Highlights that solar power generates 30 percent of California's electricity from both rooftop and utility installations.

Exempts electric utility undergrounding projects from environmental review through July 2027. Establishes a state working group to study costs and develop plans for underground power line conversion. Requires submission of a comprehensive utility undergrounding investment plan by July 2027. Maintains environmental review requirements for projects in sensitive ecological areas.

Makes technical changes to update geological hazard assessment and monitoring procedures.

Makes technical changes to renewable energy facility eligibility requirements by adjusting the commercial operation date.

Requires public utilities to automatically enroll customers in service outage alert systems. Allows customers to opt out of non-emergency alerts while maintaining mandatory safety notifications. Mandates utilities to provide contact preference updates through email or phone. Requires utilities to include instructions for updating contact methods on customer bills.

Requires the state energy commission to design a new system for customers to generate electricity at their properties. Mandates increased transparency in how departing load charges are calculated and applied to customers. Establishes a stakeholder input process including utilities and consumer advocacy groups through 2031. Requires submission of recommendations to the Legislature by December 2027.

Extends California's wildfire defense programs indefinitely beyond their 2026 expiration date. Requires fire inspectors to complete specialized training in home ignition zone assessments. Establishes a data reporting system to track defensible space compliance across jurisdictions. Creates a volunteer program to help homeowners meet fire safety requirements.

Establishes a statewide permit system to regulate stormwater discharge from large commercial properties over 5 acres. Requires the state water board to publish draft regulations by December 31, 2028. Creates a model agreement for properties to partner with local municipalities on stormwater capture. Provides multiple compliance options including onsite and offsite stormwater capture systems.

Exempts collector vehicles at least 35 years old from all smog check requirements. Eliminates existing partial smog check exemptions for collector vehicles. Adds an $8 fee for transferring ownership of vehicles four years old or newer. Names the legislation Leno's Law.