The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)
The high cost of energy is taking a financial toll on California’s residents and economy, as well as making the state more dependent on foreign oil.
(b)
California is home to abundant renewable energy resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass.
(c)
The State Lands Commission manages on behalf of the State Teachers’ Retirement Fund (STRS) hundreds of thousands of acres of school lands, a great deal of which have significant potential for siting large-scale renewable energy projects.
(d)
The State Lands Commission has a duty pursuant to the School Land Bank Act (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 8700)) to take all action necessary to fully develop school lands into a permanent and productive resource base for the benefit of STRS.
(e)
A significant amount of school lands are not producing revenue from large-scale renewable energy projects because they are isolated, landlocked parcels, the majority of which are remote desert lands. The consolidation of school land parcels into contiguous holdings would facilitate the sound and effective management of these lands for large-scale renewable energy projects.
(f)
On October 16, 2008, the State Lands Commission adopted a resolution supporting the environmentally responsible development of school lands for renewable energy-related projects.
(g)
If school lands are leased for large-scale renewable energy projects, the state will benefit in the form of reduced carbon emissions, a cleaner and healthier environment, affordable energy, stronger national security, new jobs, and more funding for STRS.
(h)
It is the policy of the state to promote the advancement, development, assessment, and installation of large-scale renewable energy projects on school lands. Any consolidation and development of school lands for renewable energy should be done with assurances that the state’s unique and sensitive environment will be protected.