CA AB353

Prohibits the State Water Resources Control Board from granting powerplant operators additional time to comply with the once-through cooling policy if the powerplant meets two specific criteria.

Requires the powerplant to be situated on a site containing existing coastal wetlands within the coastal zone, including adjacent parcels where powerplant facilities are located.

Requires that a local agency, nonprofit organization, or nongovernmental land conservation organization has been awarded a grant on or before January 1, 2020, for acquiring all or part of the powerplant site to develop parklands and restore wetlands.

Declares the bill an urgency statute to take effect immediately to prevent harm to marine ecosystems before the State Water Resources Control Board revises its once-through cooling policy.