California Governor Gavin Newsom recently certified a hybrid energy project in Fresno County, Calif., utilizing a law that was extended in an infrastructure package passed in 2023 with the support of the California Legislature.
The certification means a streamlined process for legal challenges that can otherwise cause long delays.
The Cornucopia Hybrid Project is poised to deliver 300 megawatts of solar energy and 300 MW of battery storage.
B 7 (2021) allows the Governor to certify eligible clean energy and green housing projects for judicial streamlining under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). "This key tool to cut red tape was extended in 2023’s SB 149," the governor's office said.
Courts must decide CEQA challenges to certified projects within 270 days to the extent feasible – saving months or even years of litigation delays after a project has already passed environmental review, while still allowing legal challenges to be heard.
