State Bills That Passed:
SB 816 - Net Metering (Sponsor: Kehoe): Net Metering cap raised for San Diego. On July 21, the Governor signed into law this bill that raises the Net Metering cap for the SDG&E territory from approximately 19MW to 50MW of aggregate customer peak demand. Net Metering allows customers to connect eligible solar and wind systems directly to the utility’s distribution system and to receive full retail value for the electricity they produce. San Diego was the only part of the state nearing capacity under the old cap.
SB 1732 (La Malfa): Gas Consumption Surcharge Fund. This bill stipulates that funds received from the gasoline consumption surcharge fund for public-interest research and development in the gas industry would be administered by the CEC similarly to how it oversees the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program. On July 21, the Governor signed this bill into law.
SB 76 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) : This bill specifies that the CEC can use some of the $65 million of public -goods charge funds earmarked for the PIER program for transportation projects such as hydrogen fuel research. It also requires that until January 1, 2009, the CEC must spend half of the natural gas consumption surcharge funds allocated to it by the CPUC on a joint transportation-related research program developed by the CEC and the Air Resources Board. The natural gas consumption surcharge amounts to about $15 million annually. The governor signed the bill July 21.
AB 200 (Leslie): California Renewables Portfolio. This bill permits an IOU that serves fewer than 60,000 customers in California and also serves customers in another state to count its out-of-state renewable resources toward its renewable portfolio standard compliance. It was signed into law July 18.
AB 380 (Nunez): Resource Adequacy. This bill would require the PUC to establish, implement and enforce resource adequacy requirements (RAR) on all electrical load serving entities (LSEs) to ensure that adequate physical generating capacity, dedicated to serving all load requirements, is available to meet peak demand plus requisite planning and operating reserves. Last amended 8/16/05.
AB 1576 (Nunez): Repowering Power Plants. This bill would require the CEC to consider the approval of any cost effective generation facilities that meet specific criteria for a repower facility, including a requirement that they must replace an older, less-efficient facility, must be located on an optimal site close to customers, and can use the existing infrastructure. Last referred to the Committee on Appropriations 7/01/05.
AB 1585 (Blakeslee): RPS Goal Acceleration Study. This bill would require the California Energy Commission to review the feasibility of increasing the renewable portfolio standard ( RPS) target to 33% by 2017 and to report the results of this review to the Legislature and the Governor by July 1, 2007. Read 2nd time 8/17/05 and last amended 8/15/05.
AB 1723 (La Malfa): Integrated Energy Policy Report. This bill would require each IOU and municipality to provide the CEC with its load forecast, as part of each integrated energy policy report. Read 2nd time 8/17/05 and last amended 8/15/05.
