BILL NUMBER: AB 1937INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gomez FEBRUARY 12, 2016 An act to add Section 25500.7 to the Public Resources Code, relating to thermal powerplants. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1937, as introduced, Gomez. Thermal powerplants: certification. The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and requires it to certify sufficient sites and related facilities to provide a supply of electricity sufficient to accommodate projected demand for power statewide. The act grants the commission the exclusive authority to certify any stationary or floating electrical generating facility using any source of thermal energy, with a generating capacity of 50 megawatts or more, and any facilities appurtenant to the generation facility. This bill would require the commission, before certifying a generation facility and related facilities that use fossil fuel or natural gas resources, to assess alternative means of achieving a sufficient supply of electric power to accommodate projected demand. The bill would prohibit the commission from certifying this type of generation facility or related facilities if it finds that alternative means of achieving sufficient electric power without the use of fossil fuel or natural gas resources can be accomplished. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 25500.7 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read: 25500.7. (a) Before certifying a site and related facilities that use fossil fuel or natural gas resources, the commission shall assess alternative means of achieving a sufficient supply of electric power, including, but not limited to, energy efficiency, demand response, and distributed energy resources, to accommodate the demand projected in the most recent forecast of statewide and service area electric power demand. (b) The commission shall not certify a site or related facilities that use fossil fuel or natural gas resources if it finds that alternative means of achieving sufficient electric power without the use of fossil fuel or natural gas resources can be accomplished.