An act to amend Section 14000 of the Public Resources Code, relating to the California Conservation Corps. An act to add Article 3 (commencing with Section 30650) to Chapter 7 of Division 20 of the Public Resources Code, relating to coastal resources.
AB 1023 would create a special statutory framework for the Zero Emissions Port Electrification and Operations (ZEPEO) project at the Port of Los Angeles. The bill defines ZEPEO as a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power electric grid expansion project intended to add at least 200 megawatts of power for the port and nearby communities through upgrades and new electrical infrastructure, including expanded receiving stations, a switching station, distribution lines, and network stations at terminals and Outer Harbor. The bill also states that related projects needed to complete ZEPEO, including the Avalon Promenade and Gateway Project, are covered by the same provisions.
The bill would streamline permitting for ZEPEO by shifting coastal development permit review to the Los Angeles Harbor Department when a permit would otherwise be reviewed by more than one jurisdiction, and by deeming the project consistent with local land use plans. It also requires state agencies to act on any required permit application for the project, or associated completion projects, within 90 days or the permit is deemed issued. In addition, the bill bars the project from including fully automated cargo handling equipment or infrastructure supporting that equipment, and requires separate coastal development permits for other nonexempt terminal infrastructure projects within the Port of Los Angeles Port Master Plan.
AB 1023 would also make findings that the project is needed to support port electrification, human-operated cargo handling equipment, and the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan goals, while explicitly stating that the project is not eligible for Clean Ports Program funding because it is a stand-alone utility upgrade. The bill further declares that a special statute is necessary because of the need to complete the project by 2030 and prepare for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. A separate section makes a nonsubstantive update to the California Conservation Corps statute, but the main operative provisions concern coastal permitting for the port project.
The bill’s impact on state law would be significant but narrow: it would create a project-specific exception to ordinary coastal permitting procedures under the California Coastal Act, assign exclusive local review authority to the Los Angeles Harbor Department for covered permits, and impose a 90-day decision deadline on state agencies. It would also create a state-mandated local program for the Harbor District and Harbor Department, though the bill states no reimbursement is required. The Conservation Corps amendment appears technical and does not materially change policy.
The available legislative history shows little recorded debate or voting detail, but the bill was filed with the Chief Clerk under Joint Rule 56 after being in Assembly Natural Resources, suggesting it did not advance through the normal committee process. The overall sentiment in the bill text is strongly supportive of the ZEPEO project and its expedited completion, with emphasis on clean air, port modernization, and Olympic readiness. The main point of contention embedded in the bill is the bypassing of standard multi-jurisdiction coastal review and the creation of a special statute for a single project, which may raise concerns about local control, environmental review, and precedent for project-specific exemptions.
AB 1023 would amend the Public Resources Code to create a project-specific coastal permitting process for the Port of Los Angeles ZEPEO project, transferring sole permit review authority to the Los Angeles Harbor Department for covered coastal development permits and requiring state agencies to act within 90 days or the permit is deemed issued. It would also deem the project consistent with local land use plans, require separate permits for certain additional terminal projects, and create a state-mandated local program for the Harbor District and Harbor Department. A separate, nonsubstantive amendment to the California Conservation Corps statute would update legislative findings without changing program operations.
The bill text reflects a favorable and urgent posture toward the ZEPEO project, framing it as necessary for port electrification, air quality goals, and readiness for the 2028 Olympic Games. No committee transcript or vote record is available in the provided materials, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to indicate broader legislative sentiment. The available history suggests the measure was not fully advanced through committee, which may indicate procedural or policy concerns, but the record provided does not specify them.
The principal contention is the bill’s special, project-specific exemption from ordinary coastal permitting rules. Critics could object to giving the Los Angeles Harbor Department sole authority over permits that would otherwise involve multiple jurisdictions, to deeming the project consistent with local land use plans, and to the 90-day deemed-issued deadline for state agency action. Another likely point of dispute is the bill’s explicit exclusion of fully automated cargo handling equipment and related infrastructure, which reflects an effort to align with existing restrictions on public funding for automation and may affect how the port electrification project is designed. Supporters, by contrast, appear focused on speed, clean-air benefits, and meeting deadlines tied to 2030 and the 2028 Olympics.