California’s legislature has passed a bill requiring local governments to make available all documents related to the permitting of energy-storage systems on a publicly accessible website and to allow the electronic submission of permit applications and associated documentation. A.B. 546 will be sent to Gov. Jerry Brown.

The deadline for larger cities and counties to meet the requirements of A.B. 546 is September 30, 2018. For smaller cities and counties, the deadline is January 31, 2019.

The bill also authorizes — but does not require — the Office of the Governor to create an Energy Storage Permitting Guidebook, in consultation with a variety of stakeholders. This publication would provide guidance on energy-storage permitting, including streamlining, best practices, and potential factors for consideration by local governments when establishing permitting and inspection fees.