SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills Monday aimed at streamlining the construction of solar and wind farms, reservoirs, bridges, railways and other infrastructure projects in the Golden State.
Lawmakers approved the five-bill package, which promises to accelerate clean energy and infrastructure projects while tackling climate change. Newsom introduced the bills as his strategy to streamline project approval, saying that California must speed up construction, clear delayed construction procurement processes and expedite judicial review for projects that have passed environmental reviews.
The package includes measures to move projects more quickly through the "red tape" of California's onerous bureaucratic processes. It also establishes a Green Bank Financing Program within the Climate Catalyst Fund, allowing state agencies to leverage federal dollars for climate projects that benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities. He also signed an executive order creating a strike team to ensure that processes for planning and development happen smoothly.
This legislation builds on efforts to reform the California Environmental Quality Act and other actions lawmakers have taken to streamline state laws and maximize housing production. About 20 CEQA reform bills recently became law in the state.
The governor also pointed out the rising global temperatures, including in California, which he said reinforce his administration’s goal to divest from reliance on fossil fuels. California has a target to cut its emissions by 40% by 2030, meaning it must cut emissions by 4% each year — not by 1% each year in the past decade, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.
But Newsom and other lawmakers at the bill signing focused on the agreed-upon but as yet unpassed budget. California faces a nearly $32 billion shortfall due to “predictable” capital gains losses, and Newsom touted the placeholder budget he signed this month as balanced because “in the last two fiscal years, the state has enjoyed a $177.7 billion operating surplus.” This enabled the state to prevent any cuts to pieces of the budget focusing on family services, such as investments in public education and child care, he said.
He acknowledged this year's budget negotiations were tense.
“The process is always tough. I don’t necessarily always make it easy. And it’s the beginning, not the end of the process," he said, adding, “It’s a hell of a Legislature."
State Senator Nancy Skinner, a Democrat from Berkeley, said the responsible practices of prior years helped alleviate the pain of the shortfall.
“If we face a shortfall next year or in future years, and if it’s larger than we face this year, we have a record level of reserves in order to protect our programs that serve the Californians who need them the most,” Skinner said.
She and other lawmakers pointed to the need to shift how resources are managed, including by adapting old systems and building new infrastructure, to meet the impacts from climate change — such as extreme heat. Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a Democrat from San Ramon, said the infrastructure package signed Monday does that.
“It’s possible to build big things and protect our precious environment,” Bauer-Kahan said. “This package cuts red tape to move projects forward, but it does so while ensuring that our endangered species and biodiversity are protected.”
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