SB 704
AGRICULTURAL BIOMASS-TO-ENERGY PROGRAM
A Program of the California Energy Commission

Energy Commission Renewables Committee

Senate Bill 704 (SB 704, Florez, Statues of 2003, Chapter 480) was enacted into law on September 22, 2003. It directs the Energy Commission to design and implement a program to help improve the air quality in California's agricultural areas by reducing the amount of agricultural fuels that are open-field burned. SB 704 directs the Commission to provide $10 per ton for purchases of qualified agricultural biomass from July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004. Only facilities whose qualified agricultural biomass purchases exceed by at least 10 percent their five-year average of qualified purchases prior to July 1, 2000, are eligible to receive any funding.

Funding for this program ($6 million) will be allocated from the Renewable Resources Trust Fund. SB 704 requires the Energy Commission to make payments for purchases between July 1 through December 31, 2003, by March 30, 2004, and the Energy Commission fully anticipates fulfilling this requirement.

The Energy Commission is in the process of preparing a draft guidebook and plans to hold a Committee hearing on December 11, 2003, to take public comments on the draft guidebook that describes the proposed structure for this program. The Energy Commission anticipates taking this guidebook for formal adoption at a business meeting in early February 2004.

For more information about this program contact:

California Energy Commission
Tony Gonçalves
1516 Ninth Street, MS-45
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: Tony Gonçalves at 916-654-5168
E-mail: tgoncalv @ energy.state.ca.us

Page Updated: February 26, 2004