Committee clears AB 734 to restore public access to detailed biological resource maps for energy siting

The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee advanced AB 734 to appropriations. The bill would require the California Energy Commission (CEC) to post biological resource maps and survey data for energy projects at a scale of at least 1:6,000 so that the public can meaningfully review and comment on proposed project impacts to species and habitat.

Assemblymember Schultz said the measure restores a long‑standing CEC practice that changed in 2023, when the commission shifted to posting biological maps at a coarser, statewide scale that critics said made site‑level review impossible. Supporters, including Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity, urged restoration of finer‑scale maps so the public and agencies can better evaluate avoidance and mitigation measures during the certification and permitting process.

Witnesses stressed the difference between a 1:6,000 scale — useful for street‑level and trail details — and a 1:350,000 scale, which supports only broad regional context. The bill contains a limited safeguard: if map data derive from the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) and could place species at risk from illegal take, the Department of Fish and Wildlife may require a coarser public map to protect sensitive species.

Committee members and witnesses noted the bill does not block CDFW from protecting legitimately sensitive location data, but would generally return CEC practice to prior levels of transparency. The committee passed the measure to appropriations as amended.

Why it matters: The change affects public participation in certification and permitting of energy projects reviewed by the CEC. Restoring finer‑scale maps is intended to improve stakeholders’ ability to recommend avoidance and mitigation.

Next steps: AB 734 was passed to the Senate Appropriations Committee as amended.