California 2019-2020 Regular Session Status: In Committee 1 D cosponsors

AB 2736 — Groundwater: pumped hydroelectric energy storage systems: Joshua Tree National Park.

Last action — In committee: Held under submission.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Assembly
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2019-2020 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Existing law provides for the management and monitoring of groundwater. Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, except as specified. Existing law authorizes a local agency, as defined, to adopt and implement a groundwater management plan for a groundwater basin designated as a low- or very low-priority basin by the department. Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the 9 California regional water quality control boards regulate water quality in accordance with the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and the federal Clean Water Act. This bill would require a person who extracts or uses water from a groundwater basin within 20 miles of Joshua Tree National Park for purposes of construction and operation of a closed-loop pumped hydroelectric energy storage system to submit to the state board any plans, technical reports, or monitoring data reports related to groundwater required under any license for hydroelectric generation issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The bill would require those materials submitted to the state board to include certain other information relating to groundwater monitoring and environmental impacts. The bill would require the person to report the materials to the state board on the same schedule and in the same manner as provided in the license. The bill would make a person who fails to timely submit those materials subject to a penalty of up to $10,000 per day, as assessed by the state board. The bill would require the state board to review the materials and would authorize it, if it concludes the person is not in compliance with its hydroelectric generating license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to petition the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the license. The bill would prohibit the extraction of groundwater in excess of maximum allowable change thresholds, as defined, by a pumped hydroelectric energy storage facility unless the extraction is permitted following consideration of an action or project that requires discretionary approval by a state or local governmental entity. The bill would subject extraction of groundwater beyond those thresholds to civil liability in an amount not to exceed $10 per gallon of excess groundwater extracted, with the aggregate penalty not to exceed $1,000,000. The bill would establish the Joshua Tree National Park Environmental Protection Fund and would require civil penalties imposed under the bill to be deposited in the fund. The bill would make moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to mitigate the environmental harms caused by the extraction or use of water from a groundwater basin within 20 miles of the boundaries of Joshua Tree National Park for purposes of construction and operation of a pumped hydroelectric energy storage system.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. In committee: Held under submission.

  2. In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. Read second time and amended.

  5. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 14).

  6. Re-referred to Com. on W., P., & W.

  7. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on W., P., & W. Read second time and amended.

  8. Re-referred to Com. on W., P., & W.

  9. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on W., P., & W. Read second time and amended.

  10. Referred to Com. on W., P., & W.

  11. From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.

  12. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 14 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 2000
Republican 2000
Unaffiliated 10000
Total 14000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (14)
Member Party Vote
Wood — Yea
Levine — Yea
Mathis — Yea
Salas — Yea
Gloria — Yea
Friedman — Yea
Bigelow — Yea
Chu — Yea
Cristina Garcia — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Flora, Heath Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

environment energy
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 2736 do?
Existing law provides for the management and monitoring of groundwater. Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, except as specified. Existing law authorizes a local agency, as defined, to adopt and implement a groundwater management plan for a groundwater basin designated as a low- or very low-priority basin by the department. Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the 9 California regional water quality control boards regulate water quality in accordance with the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and the federal Clean Water Act. This bill would require a person who extracts or uses water from a groundwater basin within 20 miles of Joshua Tree National Park for purposes of construction and operation of a closed-loop pumped hydroelectric energy storage system to submit to the state board any plans, technical reports, or monitoring data reports related to groundwater required under any license for hydroelectric generation issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The bill would require those materials submitted to the state board to include certain other information relating to groundwater monitoring and environmental impacts. The bill would require the person to report the materials to the state board on the same schedule and in the same manner as provided in the license. The bill would make a person who fails to timely submit those materials subject to a penalty of up to $10,000 per day, as assessed by the state board. The bill would require the state board to review the materials and would authorize it, if it concludes the person is not in compliance with its hydroelectric generating license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to petition the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the license. The bill would prohibit the extraction of groundwater in excess of maximum allowable change thresholds, as defined, by a pumped hydroelectric energy storage facility unless the extraction is permitted following consideration of an action or project that requires discretionary approval by a state or local governmental entity. The bill would subject extraction of groundwater beyond those thresholds to civil liability in an amount not to exceed $10 per gallon of excess groundwater extracted, with the aggregate penalty not to exceed $1,000,000. The bill would establish the Joshua Tree National Park Environmental Protection Fund and would require civil penalties imposed under the bill to be deposited in the fund. The bill would make moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to mitigate the environmental harms caused by the extraction or use of water from a groundwater basin within 20 miles of the boundaries of Joshua Tree National Park for purposes of construction and operation of a pumped hydroelectric energy storage system.
Who sponsors AB 2736?
AB 2736 is sponsored by Garcia, Robert (Democratic).
What is the current status of AB 2736?
This bill died with 2019-2020 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track AB 2736?
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