(a) Every three years, the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST), in its mission to increase collaboration among agencies and scientists and convene stakeholders across institutions, is requested, at its discretion, to assess the infrastructure project types, scale, and pace necessary to achieve the state’s energy, climate change, and air quality goals, including, but not limited to, the goals established pursuant to Sections 38561.5, 38562.2, 38566, 39730.5, and 39730.6 of this code, and the goals established pursuant to § 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code. In preparing the assessment, the materials CCST reviews shall include, but not be limited to, the most current versions of all of the following reports and plans:

(1) The integrated energy policy report prepared pursuant to § 25302 of the Public Resources Code.

(2) The integrated resource plans filed pursuant to § 454.52 of the Public Utilities Code.

(3) The joint reliability progress report issued pursuant to § 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code.

(4) The report produced by the Independent System Operator on the 20-year transmission outlook.

(5) The reports prepared by the state board pursuant to Section 38561.8 and paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 44274.

(6) The scoping plan prepared pursuant to Section 38561.

(7) The report prepared by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission pursuant to § 25307 of the Public Resources Code.

(b) The list of infrastructure projects the CCST shall assess pursuant to subdivision (a) may include, but are not limited to, all of the following project types:

(1) Deployment of, or upgrades to, utility-scale and distributed renewable and carbon-free energy capacity, substations, transformers, transmission and distribution lines, and biomethane and renewable hydrogen production and distribution.

(2) Deployment of, or upgrades to, electric vehicle charging stations, hydrogen refueling stations, petroleum refinery conversions, sustainable aviation fuels, and other low-carbon and carbon-free transportation fuels projects.

(3) Deployment and retrofitting of buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

(4) Deployment of, or upgrades to, industrial processes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

(5) Projects for the reduction and mitigation of short-lived climate pollutants, including, but not limited to, methane, hydrofluorocarbon gases, and anthropogenic black carbon.

(6) Natural carbon sequestration and nature-based climate solutions.

(7) Carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration projects.

(8) Projects for the reduction and mitigation of criteria air pollutants.

(9) Any other project types necessary to achieve the state’s energy, climate change, and air quality goals, including, but not limited to, the goals established pursuant to Sections 38561.5, 38562.2, 38566, 39730.5, and 39730.6 of this code, and the goals established pursuant to § 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code.

(c) CCST is requested, at its discretion, to commit to regular updates of the assessment and to rapidly incorporate new research into the assessment.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 336, Sec. 3. (AB 585) Effective October 7, 2023.)