Senate Bill 1119, legislation that would permit the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to take into consideration "the need for the new or substantially modified gas plant as it relates to the provision of reliable electrical service" into account when granting licenses for new gas-fired power plants, has been referred to the Senate Utilities and Energy Committee for consideration. SB-1119 was introduced by Senator Monique Limón (D-19) in February.
The bill, stemming from reliability concerns from the state grid's increasing reliance on intermittent solar and wind sources, is intended to speed approval of licenses for new gas plants and capacity additions to existing ones. The bill was introduced in advance of the retirement of Diablo Canyon (nuclear) Power Plant, which like other baseload plants, helps to maintain frequency stability on California's electricity grid.