Existing law vests the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission with the exclusive power to certify all locations on which an electrical transmission line or thermal powerplant is constructed, or is proposed to be constructed, and related electrical transmission lines or thermal powerplants. Existing law authorizes the commission to exempt from certification a thermal powerplant with a generating capacity of up to 100 megawatts, and modifications to existing generating facilities that do not add capacity in excess of 100 megawatts, if the commission finds that no substantial adverse impact on the environment or energy resources will result from the construction or operation of the proposed facility or from the modifications.
This bill would additionally authorize the commission to exempt from certification a thermal
powerplant with a generating capacity of up to 200 150 megawatts that if it is used solely as an emergency backup generating a backup generation facility for a data center and that is not interconnected with the electrical transmission grid for purposes of exporting electricity, if
center, it is located on the customer side of the meter and is not interconnected to the distribution system, and the commission finds that no substantial adverse impact on the environment or energy resources will result from the construction or and operation of the proposed data center. facility.