Energy: renewable energy resources.

Existing law, the Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) and requires the Energy Commission to provide $7,000,000 in grants to qualified counties, as defined, for the development or revision of rules and policies, including, but not limited to, general plan elements, zoning ordinances, and a natural community conservation plan as a plan participant, to facilitate the development of eligible renewable energy resources, and their associated electric transmission facilities, and the processing of permits for eligible renewable energy resources. For a county in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan planning area, existing law prohibits the commission from awarding a grant to such a county if it is not a "plan participant," as defined, in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. This bill would authorize the commission to award a grant to such a county if the county enters into a specified memorandum of understanding with the commission in which the county agrees to participate in the development of the natural community conservation plan. The bill would additionally include the County of San Luis Obispo as a qualified county to receive the above grants. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.