Gov. Gavin Newsom has cast his vote on legislation aimed at leveling the playing field within groundwater conflicts and shaping the San Joaquin Valley’s future in the era of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
He signed into law a measure to help the Westlands Water District expand its energy portfolio. Assembly Bill 2661 boosts the district’s authority to own and operate renewable energy infrastructure. The water provider looks to invest in solar and battery storage as more acres go fallow.
Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria of Fresno cheered the signature and said her bill will create jobs, help farmworkers retrain and transition into skilled trades, and spur economic development. Allison Febbo, Westlands general manager, thanked Soria for “recognizing water districts can play a significant role in generating renewable solar power” to help the state meet its ambitious clean energy goals.
Newsom also signed a bill requiring board members at groundwater sustainability agencies to file financial disclosure statements. Senator Melissa Hurtado of Bakersfield reasoned that such transparency is fundamental to effectively manage groundwater and protect communities.
Thumbs down: The governor, however, vetoed a bill by Asm. Damon Connolly of San Rafael to exempt wetlands and disadvantaged communities from SGMA. Farm groups had argued it would have undercut the ability of local agencies to raise the funds needed to implement plans. Newsom agreed with their argument that AB 828 did not align with SGMA’s comprehensive approach to water management.
To the relief of farmers and the consternation of reformers, he asserted the state should stick to the existing SGMA framework.
Newsom also nixed a bill to boost the state’s water supply by 9 million acre-feet by 2050. Sen. Anna Caballero of Merced had pushed the date back to buy more time for the Department of Water Resources to craft a strategy for meeting that target. Newsom countered that his administration has already laid out a vision for promoting climate resilience in the water sector. The governor in 2022 set his own nonbinding water supply goals.
SGMA-related bills get the pen and the bin
