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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Assembly Bill

AB 531: Geothermal powerplants and projects: certification and environmental review.

Enacted Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

AB 531 is a assembly bill introduced in the California Assembly on February 11, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Geothermal powerplants and projects: certification and environmental review. Primary sponsor: Chris Rogers (D). It lists 1 additional sponsor. Most recent recorded action (October 6, 2025): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 372, Statutes of 2025.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law establishes and vests in the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) various responsibilities with respect to developing and implementing the state’s energy policies. Existing law authorizes persons proposing specified electrical generation, electrical transmission, hydrogen production, and energy storage projects to apply, on or before June 30, 2029, to the Energy Commission to certify sites and related facilities as environmental leadership development projects, as specified. Existing law makes a site and related facility certified by the Energy Commission subject to streamlining benefits related to CEQA with no further action by the applicant or the Governor. Under existing law, the Energy Commission’s certification is in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document required by any governmental agency and supersedes any applicable statute, ordinance, or regulation, except as specified.

This bill would expand the types of facilities eligible to be certified as environmental leadership development projects by the Energy Commission to include geothermal powerplants and projects that comprise multiple geothermal powerplants on a single site.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 25545 of the Public Resources Code proposed by SB 254 to be operative only if this bill and SB 254 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 2

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Chris RogersPrimary sponsorDemocraticAssembly2
Diane PapanCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly21

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 372, Statutes of 2025.
  2. Approved by the Governor.
  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
  4. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 69. Noes 4. Page 3433.).
  5. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
  6. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 1. Page 2888.).
  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
  8. Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
  9. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
  10. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (August 29).
  11. In committee: Referred to suspense file.
  12. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (July 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page