As the representative of Tulare County's fifth supervisorial district, I write in ardent opposition to Senate Bill 122 (SB 122) and Assembly Bill 205 (AB 205), which shift local authority for siting of solar, wind, and certain battery backup projects to the California Energy Commission (CEC) and delegate blanket authority to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to bypass local permitting, including through the Coastal Act of 1976.
The CEC permitting process for renewable energy and manufacturing contained in these bills is overly broad, usurps local control, excludes local governments from meaningful involvement in major development projects within their jurisdictions, and could result in even more litigation.
Counties work closely with energy developers to site facilities and appropriately balance the needs of the community. I would support efforts to assist local governments in expediting permitting but transitioning authority to the CEC is not the solution.
AB 205/SB 122 bypasses the traditional local permitting process designed to ensure a project's impacts on local communities and residents will be minimized. AB 205/SB 122 also removes all local permitting for facilities cited
through the Department of Water Resources for strategic energy reserves and exempts these projects from the California Coastal Act. These facilities can have enormous impacts on our communities, even when the benefits are spread to other parts of the state
AB 205/SB 122 were crafted without the input, and over the objections of, local governments that are best positioned to balance competing interests. For these reasons, I must respectfully opposes this over-reach of state permitting and urgently requests your "No" vote on AB 205/SB 122.
Sincerely,
Dennis Townsend, Vice Chairman
District Five
Cc: Tulare County Delegation, Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange, California State Association of Counties, Rural County Representatives of California