Existing law vests the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. Under existing law, the Legislature appropriated $40 million from the General Fund to the Department of Conservation to implement the Multi-benefit Land Repurposing Program for groundwater sustainability projects that reduce groundwater use, repurpose irrigated agricultural land, and provide wildlife habitat, as specified.
This bill would require the CPUC, on or before July 1, 2024, to consult with the Department of Conservation to assess challenges that exist when connecting a recipient of Multi-benefit Land Repurposing Program grant moneys who wishes to repurpose their land into a solar farm to the electrical grid.
This bill also would require the CPUC, on or before July 1, 2025, to publish on its website information to assist these grant recipients in navigating the above-mentioned challenges, and would require the CPUC to identify best practices to navigate those challenges.
Full bill text and related information.
