Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25100. Section 25100.
Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions in this chapter govern the construction of this division.
CHAPTER 2. Definitions [25100. - 25142.]
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 2.
in effectCal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25101. Section 25101.
“Applicant” means any person who submits an application for certification pursuant to the provisions of this division, including, but not limited to, any person who explores for or develops geothermal resources.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25102. Section 25102.
“Application” means any request for certification of any site and related facility filed in accordance with the procedures established pursuant to this division. An applicant for a geothermal powerplant and related facilities may propose more than one site and related geothermal facilities in the same application.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25103. Section 25103.
“Coastal zone” means the “coastal zone” as defined in Section 30103.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25103.3. Section 25103.3.
“Suisun Marsh” means the Suisun Marsh, as defined in Section 29101.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25103.7. Section 25103.7.
“Jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission” means the area defined in Section 66610 of the Government Code.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25104. Section 25104.
“Commission” means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25105. Section 25105.
“Construction” means onsite work to install permanent equipment or structure for any facility. “Construction” does not include any of the following:
(a)
The installation of environmental monitoring equipment.
(b)
A soil or geological investigation.
(c)
A topographical survey.
(d)
Any other study or investigation to determine the environmental acceptability or feasibility of the use of the site for any particular facility.
(e)
Any work to provide access to a site for any of the purposes specified in subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (d).
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25106. Section 25106.
“Public advisor” means the public advisor employed by the commission pursuant to Section 25217.1.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25107. Section 25107.
“Electric transmission line” means any electric powerline carrying electric power from a thermal powerplant located within the state to a point of junction with any interconnected transmission system. “Electric transmission line” does not include any replacement on the existing site of existing electric powerlines with electric powerlines equivalent to such existing electric powerlines or the placement of new or additional conductors, insulators, or accessories related to such electric powerlines on supporting structures in existence on the effective date of this division or certified pursuant to this division.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25108. Section 25108.
“Electric utility” means any person engaged in, or authorized to engage in, generating, transmitting, or distributing electric power by any facilities, including, but not limited to, any such person who is subject to the regulation of the Public Utilities Commission.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25109. Section 25109.
“Energy” means work or heat that is, or may be, produced from any fuel or source whatsoever.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25110. Section 25110.
“Facility” means any electric transmission line or thermal powerplant, or both electric transmission line and thermal powerplant, regulated according to the provisions of this division.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25111. Section 25111.
“Account” means the Energy Resources Programs Account.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25112. Section 25112.
“Member” or “member of the commission” means a member of the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission appointed pursuant to Section 25200.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25113. Section 25113.
“Notice” means the notice of intent, as further defined in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 25500), which shall state the intention of an applicant to file an application for certification of any site and related facility.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25114. Section 25114.
“Interested party” means any person whom the commission finds and acknowledges as having a real and direct interest in any proceeding or action carried on, under, or as a result of the operation of, this division.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25115. Section 25115.
“Equivalent certification program” means a program, as further defined in Section 25540.5, administered by a county and approved by the commission, which may substitute for the site and related facility certification procedures established pursuant to this division.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25116. Section 25116.
“Person” means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. “Person” also includes any city, county, public district or agency, the state or any department or agency thereof, and the United States to the extent authorized by federal law.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25117. Section 25117.
“Plan” means the Emergency Load Curtailment and Energy Distribution Plan.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25118. Section 25118.
“Service area” means any contiguous geographic area serviced by the same electric utility.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25119. Section 25119.
“Site” means any location on which a facility is constructed or is proposed to be constructed.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25120. Section 25120.
“Thermal powerplant” means any stationary or floating electrical generating facility using any source of thermal energy, with a generating capacity of 50 megawatts or more, and any facilities appurtenant thereto. Exploratory, development, and production wells, resource transmission lines, and other related facilities used in connection with a geothermal exploratory project or a geothermal field development project are not appurtenant facilities for the purposes of this division.
“Thermal powerplant” does not include any wind, hydroelectric, or solar photovoltaic electrical generating facility.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25121. Section 25121.
“Fuel” means petroleum, crude oil, petroleum product, coal, natural gas, or any other substance used primarily for its energy content.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25122. Section 25122.
“Gas utility” means any person engaged in, or authorized to engage in, distributing or transporting natural gas, including, but not limited to, any such person who is subject to the regulation of the Public Utilities Commission.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25123. Section 25123.
“Modification of an existing facility” means any alteration, replacement, or improvement of equipment that results in a 50-megawatt or more increase in the electric generating capacity of an existing thermal powerplant or an increase of 25 percent in the peak operating voltage or peak kilowatt capacity of an existing electric transmission line.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25124. Section 25124.
“Major oil producer” means any person who produces oil in amount determined by the commission as having a major effect on energy supplies.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25125. Section 25125.
“Major natural gas producer” means any person who produces natural gas in amounts determined by the commission as having a major effect on energy supplies.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25126. Section 25126.
“Major marketer” means any person who sells natural gas or oil in amounts determined by the commission as having a major effect on energy supplies.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25127. Section 25127.
“Refiner” means any person who owns, operates, or controls the operations of one or more refineries.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25128. Section 25128.
“Refinery” means any industrial plant, regardless of capacity, processing crude oil feedstock and manufacturing oil products.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25129. Section 25129.
“Foreign” means any area exclusive of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25130. Section 25130.
“Nonresidential” building means any building which is heated or cooled in its interior, and is of an occupancy type other than Type H, I, or J, as defined in the Uniform Building Code, 1973 edition, as adopted by the International Conference of Building Officials.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25131. Section 25131.
“Residential building” means any hotel, motel, apartment house, lodginghouse, single- and dwelling, or other residential building which is heated or mechanically cooled.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25132. Section 25132.
“Load management” means any utility program or activity that is intended to reshape deliberately a utility’s load duration curve.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25133. Section 25133.
“Geothermal element” means an element of a county general plan consisting of a statement of geothermal development policies, including a diagram or diagrams and text setting forth objectives, principles, standards, and plan proposals, including a discussion of environmental damages and identification of sensitive environmental areas, including unique wildlife habitat, scenic, residential, and recreational areas, adopted pursuant to Section 65303 of the Government Code.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25134. Section 25134.
“Cogeneration” means the sequential use of energy for the production of electrical and useful thermal energy. The sequence can be thermal use followed by power production or the reverse, subject to the following standards:
(a)
At least 5 percent of the cogeneration project’s total annual energy output shall be in the form of useful thermal energy.
(b)
Where useful thermal energy follows power production, the useful annual power output plus one-half the useful annual thermal energy output equals not less than 42.5 percent of any natural gas and oil energy input.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25135. Section 25135.
“Conversion” means the processes by which residue is converted to a more usable energy form, including, but not limited to, combustion, anaerobic digestion, and pyrolysis, and is used for heating, process heat applications, and electric power generation.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25136. Section 25136.
“Residue” means any organic matter left as residue, such as agricultural and forestry residue, including, but not limited to, conifer thinnings, dead and dying trees, commercial hardwood, noncommercial hardwoods and softwoods, chaparral, burn, mill, agricultural field, and industrial residues, and manure.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25140. Section 25140.
“Solar thermal powerplant” means a thermal powerplant in which 75 percent or more of the total energy output is from solar energy and the use of backup fuels, such as oil, natural gas, and coal, does not, in the aggregate, exceed 25 percent of the total energy input of the facility during any calendar year period.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25141. Section 25141.
“Unbranded,” as applied to fuel, means gasoline and diesel fuel sold for wholesale or retail distribution to consumers without proprietary additives or marketing under a brand name or trademark owned or controlled by an independent refiner or an integrated refining and marketing company.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25142. Section 25142.
“Destination facility” means any structure, group of structures, equipment, pipeline, or device, other than a vessel, that receives oil in bulk to or from a tank vessel, railroad car, or pipeline, that is used for producing, storing, handling, transferring, processing, or transporting oil in bulk. For purposes of this section, a destination facility does not include any railroad car, motor vehicle, or other rolling stock while transporting oil over the highways or rail lines of this state.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026