Land use: permitting: wireless communications: emergency standby generators.

Under existing law, a wireless telecommunications collocation facility, as specified, is subject to a city or county discretionary permit and is required to comply with specified criteria, but a collocation facility, which is the placement or installation of wireless facilities, including antennas and related equipment, on or immediately adjacent to that wireless telecommunications collocation facility, is a permitted use not subject to a city or county discretionary permit. Existing law defines various terms for these purposes. This bill would, until January 1, 2024, require local agencies to make the installation of an emergency standby generator to serve a macro cell tower site, as defined, that meets specified requirements a permitted use and require a local agency to review an application for installation on an administrative, nondiscretionary basis. The bill would specify procedures for the processing of permit applications by a local agency and would authorize a local agency to impose a fee to cover costs associated with administering the bill's provisions. Because the bill would impose new duties on local agencies, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would define terms for purposes of these provisions and provide legislative findings and declarations in support of these provisions in order to maintain cellular communications during implemented power shutoffs. Existing law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a local agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that might have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA does not apply to ministerial approval of projects. By requiring administrative approval of the installation of emergency standby generators, this bill would expand the CEQA ministerial approval exemption. 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. 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.