In an article for New Project Media, Morten Lund provides his take on a how a California bill, Assembly Bill (AB) 2625, which was signed into law in August by Governor Gavin Newsom, will impact energy storage development in the state.
California’s Subdivision Map Act, which to protect against unregulated development dictates how local governments split parcels or subdivide properties, contains an exemption for solar, wind, and biogas projects that AB 2625 will extend to cover standalone storage. The exemption allows a project owner to lease a portion of a parcel without having to formally subdivide it.
According to veteran energy development attorney Lund, AB 2625 removes the Map Act as an obstacle to development of standalone storage and, though it may not spur more development, will ease it by giving developers greater flexibility for siting projects.
“Instead of only choosing counties where subdivision is easy, I’ll just get the parcel I want,” Lund said. “That’s particularly important for storage where location is the most important feature.”
Read the full article here.