Huh: California Law Meant To Make Solar And Wind Easier Making It Harder In Practice

Someone at Politico did random act of journalism

California’s self-own on wind and solar

A wind power farm in the mountains of far-Northern California was the first through the door of a new permit streamlining program that came with a lofty promise to renewable energy developers: Once a permit application was complete, the California Energy Commission would make a final ruling on the project within 270 days.

It’s been more than 650 days since Fountain Wind completed its application. But the agency still hasn’t made a final ruling, after fierce local opposition successfully derailed the permit review.

In renewable energy circles, the project has become a poster child of the sluggish progress California has made toward expediting the infrastructure state leaders say they so desperately want. Meanwhile, local officials and their advocates see the initiative as a prime example of why decision-making is better done within the communities where workers are breaking dirt. That argument will continue playing out in Sacramento in the coming month as language that would further empower the CEC’s permitting authority is in one of the most-watched end-of-session bills.

That law has created lots of NIMBY. Wind and solar, especially giant wind turbines, may be popular in theory, but, only when they are Somewhere Else. Over There. Annoying That Guy.

The thing is, while the focus is on the law

In June 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a major budget trailer bill that was a key step in California’s yearslong effort to pare down its notoriously byzantine permitting processes. AB 205 created an optional permitting process that would allow large renewable energy projects to get the green light from the CEC, effectively sidestepping local advocates who have become so effective at wielding county-level laws to mothball construction.

what Politico is touching on but more as a sidebar is this

“Why champion a state permitting process that does authorize a local override if you’re not going to wield it?’ said Alex Jackson, executive director of the American Clean Power Association, a renewable energy trade group. “In the face of federal attacks on wind and rising demand, the case for grabbing every zero-carbon electron in California could not be stronger right now.”

That’s right, the Warmists are super upset that those stupid local peasants have a say in what occurs in their local areas. How dare they stop progress!!!!!!

SB 254, state Sen. Josh Becker’s (D) sprawling bill to rein in electricity rates, contains language that would establish a presumption under the AB 205 system that the facilities’ construction would economically benefit local governments, reversing the current dynamic, which has a higher bar for developers to demonstrate those benefits. It would also extend the application window deadline from 2029 to 2034, make smaller projects eligible, and give the CEC a 30-day deadline to ask for additional information after it receives records from applicants.

In other words, screw those locals. They do not get a say. The state and the companies are going to force these projects on the locals and localities, which tend to be far from the areas those forcing this live in.

“We need to retain discretion over projects that are occurring within our jurisdictional boundaries,” said John Kennedy, a senior policy advocate with Rural County Representatives of California, which represents the state’s 40 rural counties. When the state overrules county regulations, it can leave locals feeling “embittered by projects that come in and don’t take their concerns into consideration,” he said.

Warmists are not happy that local yokels might retain control in their areas. The authoritarian Warmists will, eventually, force the projects on these people. Because that’s who the Warmists are.

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