Chapter 3Powerplant Siting

Section § 800

Explanation

California wants thermal power plants to provide benefits to the public while protecting the environment and wildlife. The state encourages using alternative energy sources like nuclear and geothermal to save fossil fuels and keep the air clean.

California's policy supports planning by electric utilities to achieve these goals, helping them assess environmental impacts of power plant sites. A special committee coordinates these efforts.

The state also invests in researching resource conservation and exploring new power plant site methods to benefit the public and minimize environmental impact.

It is the policy of the State of California that the location and operation of thermal electric powerplants shall enhance public benefits and protect against or minimize adverse effects on the public, the ecology of the land and its wildlife, and the ecology of state waters and their aquatic life, and that the public’s opportunity to enjoy the material, physical and aesthetic benefits of its resources shall be preserved to the greatest extent feasible.
The Legislature declares that it is also the policy of the state to encourage the use of nuclear energy, geothermal resources, and such other energy sources as are currently under development, wherever feasible, recognizing that such use has the potential of providing direct economic benefit to the public, while helping to conserve limited fossil fuel resources and promoting air cleanliness.
The Legislature further declares that it is the policy of the state to encourage planning by the state’s electric utilities toward the above-stated objectives and to assist the utilities in their evaluations of the effects on the environment of proposed thermal powerplant sites and to that end a State Powerplant Siting Committee has been established to effect such coordination with the utilities and to carry out specific responsibilities as may be defined in the Public Utilities Code and the Public Resources Code.
The Legislature finds that the state should conduct research relating to the conservation, enhancement and prudent use of its resources, including those associated with the siting of thermal powerplants.
The Legislature finds that the state should also stimulate, sponsor and conduct appropriate research and study on new methods of powerplant siting which offer potential for enhanced public benefits in location, operation, and protection of the environment with such investigations including underground and underocean sites, manmade islands, powerplant parks, the desirability of locations on or near tidal lagoons, and other concepts which may appear attractive in minimizing the impact on the environment of the large projected increase in California electric generating capacity.
thermal power plants public benefits environmental protection nuclear energy geothermal energy fossil fuel conservation air cleanliness electric utilities planning State Powerplant Siting Committee environmental impact resource conservation powerplant siting research alternative energy sources ecological protection powerplant location innovation
(Added by Stats. 1970, Ch. 1299.)

Section § 801

Explanation

The law assigns the Resources Agency the job of developing better ways to decide where power plants should be located. To avoid doing the same work twice, they'll work with electric utility companies and share findings as publicly available information. This also includes studying the placement of underground power plants, following a specific earlier recommendation.

In accordance with state policy, it shall be the responsibility of the Resources Agency to establish a program of research on improved methods of powerplant siting. Recognizing the very considerable experience, knowledge and effort of the state’s electric utilities in this field, the Resources Agency shall coordinate its research programs with the electric utilities to insure minimum duplication and maximum interchange of information with the results of the state’s research program being published and made available as public information.
In accord with recommendation No. 3 made in the Resources Agency’s report to the Legislature on Siting Thermal Powerplants in California, dated February 15, 1970, and concurred in by the Utilities Ad Hoc Committee, the Resources Agency is specifically authorized to undertake a study of the siting of underground powerplants.
powerplant siting Resources Agency electric utilities research coordination information sharing public information underground powerplants siting methods Utilities Ad Hoc Committee thermal powerplants state policy on powerplants research program powerplant placement siting studies environmental research
(Added by Stats. 1970, Ch. 1299.)