Requires automated online permits for home solar

Existing law requires a city or county to approve administratively applications to install solar energy systems through the issuance of a building permit or similar nondiscretionary permit. Existing law requires every city, county, or city and county to develop a streamlined permitting process for the installation of small residential rooftop solar energy systems, as that term is defined. Existing law prescribes and limits permit fees that a city or county may charge for a residential and commercial solar energy system. Existing law creates the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) in the Natural Resources Agency and prescribes its duties, which include administering programs for the installation of solar energy systems.

This bill would require every city, county, or city and county to implement an online, automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance and issues permits in real time or allows the city, county, or city and county to issue permits in real time for a residential solar energy system, as defined, that is no larger than 38.4 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating and a residential energy storage system, as defined, paired with a residential solar energy system that is no larger than 38.4 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating.

This bill would prescribe a compliance schedule for satisfying these requirements, which would exempt a city with a population of fewer than 5,000 and a county with a population of fewer than 150,000, including each city within that county. The bill would require a city with a population of 50,000 or fewer that is not otherwise exempt to satisfy these requirements by September 30, 2024, while cities, counties, and cities and counties with populations greater than 50,000 that are not otherwise exempt would be required to satisfy the requirements by September 30, 2023. The bill would require a city, county, or city and county to report to the Energy Commission when it is in compliance with specified requirements, in addition to other information. The bill would require cities, counties, and cities and counties to self-certify their compliance with the bill’s provisions when applying for specified funds from the Energy Commission, as specified.

This bill would require the Energy Commission to set guidelines, adopted through a specified public process, for cities, counties, and cities and counties to report to the commission on the number of permits issued for residential solar energy systems and residential energy storage systems paired with residential solar energy systems and the relevant characteristics of those systems. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

The Administrative Procedure Act generally governs the procedure for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law.

This bill would exempt the guidelines from the Administrative Procedures Act.

This bill would expressly apply to charter cities.

By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.