Assembly Natural Resources Committee advances bills on bioenergy, E15 gasoline, wildfire egress, blue carbon, composting and river protections

The California Assembly Natural Resources Committee advanced multiple measures on Thursday that would affect organic-waste energy projects, retail sale of E15 gasoline, exemptions from the California Environmental Quality Act for emergency evacuation routes, state coastal mitigation for "blue carbon," siting and permitting of composting facilities, and state protections for federally designated wild and scenic rivers.

The committee voted to advance AB70, AB30, AB66, AB399, AB436 and AB43 to the next committee of jurisdiction or appropriations, with committee members saying they will continue negotiations on amendments where concerns remain. The measures were discussed at length by authors, agency representatives and industry and environmental stakeholders before the committee recorded its actions.

Why it matters: The packages touch energy and climate policy, wildfire safety and infrastructure siting — areas with immediate operational implications for local governments, industrial operators and coastal and conservation agencies. Together the bills would shape how California handles organic waste and renewable gas procurement, whether higher ethanol blends may be sold at pumps, how quickly local agencies can build emergency evacuation routes, and how coastal and river protections are implemented and enforced.

AB70 — organic waste to pipeline biomethane

AB70, presented by the bill’s author, would codify a definition of "pyrolysis" in state law and allow communities to claim procurement credit for projects that generate pipeline-quality biomethane exclusively from organic waste. The author emphasized the measure is intended to give certainty to projects and communities, not to change permitting requirements: "This bill does not — let me repeat it — does not change how pyrolysis is permitted or regulated. It simply helps communities and companies know what projects count as pyrolysis projects," the author said.

Julia Levin, executive director of the Bioenergy Association of California, testified in support. She told the committee that methane from decomposing organic waste accounts for a large share of the state's short-lived…