CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 854Introduced by Assembly Member Petrie-NorrisFebruary 19, 2025 An act relating to environmental quality. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 854, as introduced, Petrie-Norris. Environmental quality: greenhouse gas emissions: permit streamlining.The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that the lead agency proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment.Existing law, the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2021, authorizes the Governor, until January 1, 2032, to certify projects that meet specified requirements for streamlining benefits related to CEQA. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to adopt permit streamlining guidance for projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO Bill TextThe people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) The impacts of climate change in California include wildfire, drought, heat waves, and catastrophic weather events of increasing severity and unpredictability. These impacts pose significant threats to public health, public safety, and the economy in California.(2) To address the impacts of climate change, California has established a number of ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals, targets, and programs, including a target to cut GHG emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and Executive Order No. B-55-18 creates a state goal to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2045, consistent with science-based assessments to achieve global climate stabilization. (3) California is a leader in driving the affordable and equitable transition to a clean reliable energy system and economy. However, the impacts of climate change are occurring sooner and with more intensity and frequency than previously anticipated.(4) Extreme events from climate change, including heat waves, wildfires, and drought, combined with other factors, such as supply chain disruptions, are jeopardizing Californias ability to build out the energy infrastructure needed to maintain affordability and reliability.(5) Climate authorities such as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have declared that carbon management measures such as carbon capture and sequestration and direct air capture will be required to meet climate goals established under the Paris Agreement.(6) As California transitions to a clean energy future and contends with climate impacts and other challenges, sufficient capacity of new and existing generation assets will be required to maintain reliability during extreme events.(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to adopt permit streamlining guidance for projects that will reduce GHG emissions.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 854Introduced by Assembly Member Petrie-NorrisFebruary 19, 2025 An act relating to environmental quality. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 854, as introduced, Petrie-Norris. Environmental quality: greenhouse gas emissions: permit streamlining.The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that the lead agency proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment.Existing law, the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2021, authorizes the Governor, until January 1, 2032, to certify projects that meet specified requirements for streamlining benefits related to CEQA. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to adopt permit streamlining guidance for projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 854
Introduced by Assembly Member Petrie-NorrisFebruary 19, 2025
Introduced by Assembly Member Petrie-Norris
February 19, 2025
An act relating to environmental quality.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 854, as introduced, Petrie-Norris. Environmental quality: greenhouse gas emissions: permit streamlining.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that the lead agency proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment.Existing law, the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2021, authorizes the Governor, until January 1, 2032, to certify projects that meet specified requirements for streamlining benefits related to CEQA. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to adopt permit streamlining guidance for projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that the lead agency proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment.
Existing law, the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2021, authorizes the Governor, until January 1, 2032, to certify projects that meet specified requirements for streamlining benefits related to CEQA.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to adopt permit streamlining guidance for projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) The impacts of climate change in California include wildfire, drought, heat waves, and catastrophic weather events of increasing severity and unpredictability. These impacts pose significant threats to public health, public safety, and the economy in California.(2) To address the impacts of climate change, California has established a number of ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals, targets, and programs, including a target to cut GHG emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and Executive Order No. B-55-18 creates a state goal to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2045, consistent with science-based assessments to achieve global climate stabilization. (3) California is a leader in driving the affordable and equitable transition to a clean reliable energy system and economy. However, the impacts of climate change are occurring sooner and with more intensity and frequency than previously anticipated.(4) Extreme events from climate change, including heat waves, wildfires, and drought, combined with other factors, such as supply chain disruptions, are jeopardizing Californias ability to build out the energy infrastructure needed to maintain affordability and reliability.(5) Climate authorities such as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have declared that carbon management measures such as carbon capture and sequestration and direct air capture will be required to meet climate goals established under the Paris Agreement.(6) As California transitions to a clean energy future and contends with climate impacts and other challenges, sufficient capacity of new and existing generation assets will be required to maintain reliability during extreme events.(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to adopt permit streamlining guidance for projects that will reduce GHG emissions.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
## The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) The impacts of climate change in California include wildfire, drought, heat waves, and catastrophic weather events of increasing severity and unpredictability. These impacts pose significant threats to public health, public safety, and the economy in California.(2) To address the impacts of climate change, California has established a number of ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals, targets, and programs, including a target to cut GHG emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and Executive Order No. B-55-18 creates a state goal to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2045, consistent with science-based assessments to achieve global climate stabilization. (3) California is a leader in driving the affordable and equitable transition to a clean reliable energy system and economy. However, the impacts of climate change are occurring sooner and with more intensity and frequency than previously anticipated.(4) Extreme events from climate change, including heat waves, wildfires, and drought, combined with other factors, such as supply chain disruptions, are jeopardizing Californias ability to build out the energy infrastructure needed to maintain affordability and reliability.(5) Climate authorities such as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have declared that carbon management measures such as carbon capture and sequestration and direct air capture will be required to meet climate goals established under the Paris Agreement.(6) As California transitions to a clean energy future and contends with climate impacts and other challenges, sufficient capacity of new and existing generation assets will be required to maintain reliability during extreme events.(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to adopt permit streamlining guidance for projects that will reduce GHG emissions.
SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) The impacts of climate change in California include wildfire, drought, heat waves, and catastrophic weather events of increasing severity and unpredictability. These impacts pose significant threats to public health, public safety, and the economy in California.(2) To address the impacts of climate change, California has established a number of ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals, targets, and programs, including a target to cut GHG emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and Executive Order No. B-55-18 creates a state goal to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2045, consistent with science-based assessments to achieve global climate stabilization. (3) California is a leader in driving the affordable and equitable transition to a clean reliable energy system and economy. However, the impacts of climate change are occurring sooner and with more intensity and frequency than previously anticipated.(4) Extreme events from climate change, including heat waves, wildfires, and drought, combined with other factors, such as supply chain disruptions, are jeopardizing Californias ability to build out the energy infrastructure needed to maintain affordability and reliability.(5) Climate authorities such as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have declared that carbon management measures such as carbon capture and sequestration and direct air capture will be required to meet climate goals established under the Paris Agreement.(6) As California transitions to a clean energy future and contends with climate impacts and other challenges, sufficient capacity of new and existing generation assets will be required to maintain reliability during extreme events.(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to adopt permit streamlining guidance for projects that will reduce GHG emissions.
SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
### SECTION 1.
(1) The impacts of climate change in California include wildfire, drought, heat waves, and catastrophic weather events of increasing severity and unpredictability. These impacts pose significant threats to public health, public safety, and the economy in California.
(2) To address the impacts of climate change, California has established a number of ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals, targets, and programs, including a target to cut GHG emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and Executive Order No. B-55-18 creates a state goal to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2045, consistent with science-based assessments to achieve global climate stabilization.
(3) California is a leader in driving the affordable and equitable transition to a clean reliable energy system and economy. However, the impacts of climate change are occurring sooner and with more intensity and frequency than previously anticipated.
(4) Extreme events from climate change, including heat waves, wildfires, and drought, combined with other factors, such as supply chain disruptions, are jeopardizing Californias ability to build out the energy infrastructure needed to maintain affordability and reliability.
(5) Climate authorities such as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have declared that carbon management measures such as carbon capture and sequestration and direct air capture will be required to meet climate goals established under the Paris Agreement.
(6) As California transitions to a clean energy future and contends with climate impacts and other challenges, sufficient capacity of new and existing generation assets will be required to maintain reliability during extreme events.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to adopt permit streamlining guidance for projects that will reduce GHG emissions.