Legislative Spotlight: A Better Bill for Battery Storage + Beware of CEQA Changes

The 2025 Legislative season is heating up in Sacramento, and the California State Association of Electrical Workers has several priorities this session designed to support and protect the working men and women of the state’s IBEW locals.

In this edition, we focus on dueling bills around battery storage facilities and a warning about gutting CEQA in the name of streamlining.

Assembly Bill 303 (Addis) – OPPOSE

Assembly Bill 303 (Addis) would:

  • Eliminate the California Energy Commission permitting of battery energy storage projects capable of storing 200 megawatt hours or more of energy;
  • Require the Energy Commission to deny any pending battery storage project applications;
  • Limit local agencies from approving battery storage projects in certain locations.

AB 303 is a knee-jerk reaction and a bad bill that undermines skilled and trained workforce standards for battery energy storage, will restrict California’s ability to meet its climate goals, undermines expert review, and is an unnecessary response to past incidents.

We have a better solution.

Senate Bill 283 (Laird) – Sponsor/Support

In response to the reactionary AB 303 (Addis), the CSAEW is sponsoring Senate Bill 283 (Laird). This more rational approach to battery storage safety doesn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

We’ve partnered with the Professional Firefighters to sponsor SB 283, which will strengthen the battery storage permitting process by doing the following:

  • Requires that all eligible projects follow NFPA 855 standards for utility-grade battery storage;
  • Requires the developer to “meet and confer” with the local fire marshal before filling out an application with the CEC;
  • Necessitates that to be eligible, projects must be in new buildings or buildings that have been brought up to the most recent fire protection standards.
  • Mandates that, prior to interconnecting and going online, a project must be inspected by the local fire marshal or state fire marshal at the developer’s expense.

While the Vistra Moss Landing fire was terrible, the facility was built before current safety standards were adopted. California has since updated its safety regulations, ensuring new projects are built to a higher standard.

Keep an Eye Out

The Assembly Select Committee on Permit Streamlining, chaired by Assembly member Buffy Wicks, recently issued a report laying the groundwork for a package of bills focused on fundamentally changing the permit approval process for Energy, Housing and Infrastructure projects and gut CEQA.

We have a right to be at the table. This package of bills has the potential to be anti-union and silence the voice of labor unions and the community in the approval process.

Stay tuned.