Lawmakers in California are increasingly favorable towards geothermal energy, a form of renewable power generated from the Earth's heat.
The California legislature is making strides in promoting geothermal energy, a clean and renewable source of power, with four bills currently working their way through the system. These bills aim to ease permitting challenges and make geothermal a priority for the state's energy mix.
One of the key bills, AB-527, proposes to give geothermal wells a categorical exemption from permits under the California Environmental Quality Act. This exemption could potentially speed up the permitting process, making it more attractive for companies to invest in geothermal energy. However, some speculate that AB-527 may face opposition later in the process due to concerns about scrapping environmental reviews.
Another significant bill, AB-1016, seeks to expand the size limit for geothermal projects under local control. Currently, projects of 50 megawatts or less are subject to county-level permits. If passed, AB-1016 would raise this limit to 150 MW, allowing for larger-scale geothermal projects to be developed at the county level. This could result in county-level permits coming through twice as fast as typical state approvals.
If successful, both AB-1016 and AB-527 would provide more control to counties over the permitting process for geothermal plants in California. This could stimulate growth in the geothermal sector, particularly in counties with experience in geothermal projects, such as Imperial County.
The potential of geothermal technology is gaining recognition from certain lawmakers. Lucy Darago, the chief commercial officer at XGS, has stated that the pathway to next-generation geothermal power becoming a major source of decarbonized electricity and heat worldwide has to run through California. Wilson Ricks, a Princeton University researcher, has also emphasised geothermal as "probably California's best-shot at cost-effective total decarbonization."
California's geothermal potential is significant. The state is home to the largest geothermal electrical plant in the world, The Geysers Geothermal Complex, which was opened in 1960. Currently, geothermal energy supplies just over 5% of California's electricity mix, but with the right policies in place, it has the potential to power the state more widely.
In addition to these bills, AB-531 would qualify geothermal plants for a "judicial streamlining program" in California, allowing local regulators to take the lead on permitting facilities designated as "environmental leadership projects." However, this is an opt-in approach.
Interestingly, new geothermal companies are using drilling technologies pioneered by oil and gas frackers to tap into the Earth's molten heat in various locations. However, there are no specific companies named in the available search results that currently use these techniques in California.
The passage of these bills would align California's regulations with the federal standard, similar to what is currently in place in Nevada and Utah. If passed, AB-1016 would make geothermal a higher priority for California, similar to how an earlier statute set California's target for offshore wind.
These bills, if passed, could mark a significant step forward in California's renewable energy landscape, paving the way for a more sustainable and carbon-free future.
