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2006 State Legislative Calendar: For a detailed 2006 calendar, visit the California Assembly Legislative Calendar.
2006 STATE ENERGY LEGISLATION
AIR QUALITY | DIRECT ACCESS/MARKET STRUCTURE | DISTRIBUTED GENERATION | ENERGY EFFICIENCY | ENVIRONMENT | CLIMATE CHANGE | NATURAL GAS | OIL | PLANNING | CPUC | RATES/TARIFFS | RENEWABLE ENERGY - SOLAR | RENEWABLE ENERGY | TRANSPORTATION
Air Quality
AB 2388 (Vargas) Air pollution mitigation. Would require any person that imports electricity into the state, or causes electricity to be imported into the state, to pay up to a $0.001 per kilowatt hour air contaminant emission electricity generation mitigation fee for that electricity, but not to exceed the cost of mitigation, as determined by the state board.
AB 2553 (Arambula) CA Air Quality Zone Credits. This bill would require the designation of California Air Quality Zones and allow a credit in the amount of 10% of qualified capital expenditures that are made within such a zone.
SB 1205 (Escutia) Penalties for Stationary Pollution Sources. This bill would increase civil penalties for stationary source pollution violators
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Direct Access/Market Structure
AB 2062 (Richman) Direct Access - Core/non-Core. This bill would require the California Public Utilities Commission to develop rules for a core/non-core market structure for electricity by 1/1/07, to be implemented by 6/30/07.
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Distributed Generation
AB 2391 (Levine et. al.) CPUC Distributed Generation Reporting. This bill would delete the obsolete requirement that the PUC submit a report to the Legislature recommending changes based on annual customer reports from those that have installed distributed energy resources.
AB 2424 (Blakeslee) Distributed Generation Technology. This bill would provide that the Legislature find that it is in the interest of CA consumers to ensure that distributed generation technology provide efficient, cost¬effective electricity.
AB 2778 (Lieber) Self¬Generation Incentive Program. This bill would require the PUC to administer the Self¬Generation Incentive Program for distributed generation resources in the same form that exists on 1/1/04.
SB 1727 (Kehoe) Retail Wheeling. This bill would create an exception from the definition of an "electrical corporation" for electricity generated on private property for its own use and use by adjacent properties and which is not for sale.
SB 1833 (Kehoe) Qualifying Facilities Energy Prices. This bill would repeal section 390 of the Public Utilities Code, which describes the requirements for how the Commission is to determine the energy prices paid to qualifying facilities by an electrical corporation.
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Energy Efficiency
AB 1970 (Levine) Appliance Labels. This bill would require manufacturers of appliances sold in California to provide energy use labels that would show estimated annual operational cost both when the appliance is in the "active/on" mode and when it is in the "active/standby" mode.
AB 2021 (Levine) Energy Efficiency Goals for Municipal Utilities. This bill would require the California Energy Commission to (i) establish annual statewide energy efficiency targets, (ii) investigate how to reduce the peak demand needs of air conditioners, and (iii) develop energy efficiency goals for municipal utilities to achieve.
AB 2321 (Canciamilla) Governor's Green Action Team. This bill would create the Governor's Green Action team to implement the goals identified in Executive Order S¬20¬04 (Green Building Order). The Team would oversee and direct progress towards reducing electricity purchases for state¬owned buildings and other government entities.
SB 1250 (Perata) Cost-Effective Efficiency Programs - Refrigerators. This bill would delete the current refrigerator purchase restriction and amend existing law requiring the PUC to ensure that no EE funds are used to provide incentives for the purchase of new EE refrigerators.
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Environment
SB 1705 (Ashburn) CEC Environmental Review for Energy Corridors. This bill would require the Energy commission to develop an expedited process for review, pursuant to CEQA, of a project proposal to modify energy infrastructure along an existing energy corridor and that returns the corridor to pre¬existing conditions or enhances the habitat environment.
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AB 1925 (Blakeslee) Carbon Dioxide Recycling. This bill would require the Energy Commission to recommend to the Legislature how they can facilitate cost-effective strategies to recycle carbon dioxide that is created during the generation of electricity.
AB 2315 (McCarthy) CA Climate Neutral Power Generation Program. This bill would establish the CA Climate Neutral Combustion Power Generation Program in order to complement the Renewable Energy Resource Program and Renewable Portfolio Standard Program.
SB 1368 (Perata) Greenhouse Gas Emissions. This bill would require long¬term contracts for baseload generation to comply with CEC's performance standards for greenhouse¬gas emissions and establishes an emissions standard that is equal to that of a combined cycle natural gas power plant.
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Natural Gas
AB 2960 (Ridley-Thomas) Procurement Plans - Natural Gas. This bill would require that an objective of an electrical company's procurement plan be to provide incentives to mitigate against price volatility in natural gas supply costs when an electricity supply contract provides for the price of electricity to increase when the price of natural gas used to generate the electricity increases.
SB 1506 (Margett) Energy Purchased for State Water Project. This bill would exempt from existing law, governing the acquisition of goods and services by the state, certain contracts for the purchase or sale of electric power or natural gas entered into by the Department of Water Resources for the purpose of the State Water Project
SB 1816 (Alarcon) Replacing Old Gas Furnaces. This bill would require the Energy Commission to annually replace 50,000 old gas furnaces in residences occupied by customers eligible for the CARE program, from 2007 to 2013. The funds for this program are to be recovered from the natural gas and electricity public goods charges.
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Oil
SB 1794 (Dunn/Kehoe) Oil Refineries. This bill would declare oil refineries public utilities subject to regulation by the CPUC under the Public Utilities Act.
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Planning
SB 1539 (Kehoe) Regional Energy Planning. States the intent of the legislature that the San Diego Association of Government Energy Working Group should participate in energy planning and implementation of energy-related policy in the San Diego region. It also states that the development and implementation of energy management plans to advise local governments in the effective implementation of renewable energy projects, green building options and energy efficiency should occur.
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California Public Utilities Commission
SB 951 (Escutia) Intervenors. This bill provides that provisions pertaining to participant and intervenor compensation are to be liberally construed to promote participation. This bill contains legislative findings that articulate an interest in a more comprehensive effort to hear from the public. (Introduced 2-22-05)
SB 1753 (Dunn) Repeal of the PUHCA of 1935. This bill would require the PUC to report to the Legislature on how repeal of the Public Utilities Holding Company Act of 1935 could adversely impact CA consumers.
SB 1669 (Kehoe) Public Utilites; Load-Serving Entities. This bill would require all LSEs to provide public disclosure of procurement-related filings, including resource adequacy and RPS information, to DRA and other consumer representatives
SB 1794 (Dunn) Public Utilities; Refineries. This bill would add refinery corporations to the list of public utilities.
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Rates/Tariffs
AB 2104 (Lieber) Accessibility of CARE Applications. This bill would require the development of a process whereby electrical and gas corporations are able to directly accept and renew CARE applications from certain tenants of a mobile home park or apartment building.
AB 2122 (Klehs) Price Gouging. This bill would make it illegal for sellers of identified products and services, including certain energy products, to increase prices more than 10% during state or federal emergencies.
AB 2576 (De La Torre) Alternate Energy Rates Eligibility Guidelines. This bill would require that the PUC establish eligibility for the California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE) at 250% of federal poverty guidelines, rather than the existing 175%.
SB 1554 (Cox and Bowen) Cost Responsibility Surcharge. This bill would prohibit the commission from imposing any charge, including a cost responsibility surcharge, on a customer of a local publicly owned electric utility if the customer's service location has not previously received service from an electrical corporation.
SB 1786 (Aanestad) IOU Rate Increases. This bill would require the commission to require that a public utility mitigate a rate increase payable by any class of customers whenever a requested increase in rates for providing utility service will exceed 50% during any 12 calendar months following the rate increase and that this be accomplished through a schedule of rate credits, as specified.
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Renewable Energy - Solar
AB 2573 (Leno) Solar Generation Limit - Hetch Hetchy. This bill would limit the peak generation capacity of the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power photovoltaic electricity generation facility to 25 megawatts and would make other changes to the rules governing photovoltaics in that utility territory.
AB 2617 (Saldana) Solar Training Program. This bill would provide that money be allocated to the Employment Development Department to fund the solar training program.
AB 2723 (Pavley) Low-Income Revolving Loan Program. This bill would create the Low-Income Housing Development and Nonprofit Building loan program to help finance solar energy systems in eligible low¬income housing and nonprofit building. The program would be funded by an allocation of 10% of the CA Solar Initiative funding.
AB 2806 (Hancock) Sales & Use Taxes. This bill would specify that construction contractors are consumers, not retailers, of solar energy systems, which would affect how much sales tax they are required to pay.
AB 2849 (Ruskin) Tax Credits for Solar Energy Systems. This bill would extend the repeal date of the previously available solar tax credits to 12/1/11.
AB 2912 (Torrico) Solar Energy in Schools. States legislative intent to encourage a school district facility to include solar energy as part of any modernization or new construction project.
AB 2993 (Leno) Net Energy Metering. This bill would raise the Net Metering cap for customer¬generated renewable electricity in PG&E and SCE territories to 200 MW.
SB 1 (Murray) California Solar Initiative. This bill would expand and accelerate development of solar resources. Also, it would develop and adopt regulations governing solar devices, as defined, designed to encourage the development and use of solar energy and to provide maximum information to the public concerning solar devices. (Introduced 12/6/2004)
SB 1572 (Murray) Solar Energy System Standards. States legislative intent to establish policies for the Energy Commission in certifying solar energy systems and establishing standards for the offering of solar energy systems on new buildings.
SB 1700 (Murray) CA Solar Initiative Program. States legislative intent to establish policies to codify and make changes to the CA Solar Initiative program.
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Renewable Energy
AB 1969 (Chavez/Yee) Renewable Energy by Water Districts. This bill would state legislative intent to encourage municipal water districts to develop renewable energy resources to help retail sellers of energy meet the state's RPS.
AB 2189 (Blakeslee) Eligibility for Renewable Portfolio Standard. This bill would make the energy generated by an existing small hydroelectric generation facility eligible to meet the renewable portfolio standard, so long as improvements to the facility after 1/1/03 result in a peak generating capacity in excess of 30 megawatts.
AB 2207 (Blakeslee) Renewable Energy Credits. This bill would require the CEC to issue renewable energy credits for all renewable generation eligible to count towards the RPS.
AB 2756 (Levine) Renewable Energy Technologies. States legislative intent to authorize issuance of Clean Renewable Energy Bonds to finance new renewable generation.
AB 2874 (Benoit) Renewable Energy Development by Water Agencies. This bill would encourage water and wastewater agencies to develop renewable energy resources to help energy providers meet the RPS.
AB 2924 (Arambula) Renewable Energy Incentives. This bill would authorize an economic development corporation to provide loan guarantees for capital expenditures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or generate renewable energy under certain conditions. Would also create tax credits for related capital expenditures and research.
AB 3016 (Blakeslee) CEC Renewable Energy Resource Plan. This bill would repeal the law requiring the Energy Commission to submit a comprehensive renewable electricity generation resource plan by 2003.
SB 1728 (Battin) Renewable Energy Resources. This bill would make changes to the RPS law, including the definition "procure."
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Transportation
AB 1901 (Horton) Retrofitting of Trucks. This bill would create the Truck Retrofit Revolving Loan Program through 2012 to help finance the retrofitting of trucks with bundled energy efficiency and emission reduction equipment kits by businesses.
AB 2264 (Pavley) Fuel Economy Standards. This bill would require the Department of General Services, in conjunction with the Energy Commission, to establish a minimum fuel economy standard for state fleet vehicles by 6/1/07, and that they meet this standard by 1/1/08.
AB 2647 (Oropeza) Truck Parking Electrification. This bill would provide funding for the Truck Parking Space Electrification Revolving Loan Program to help finance loans for eligible applicants. This program seeks to reduce emissions from idling diesel trucks.
AB 2744 (Wyland) Office of Special Counsel on Transportation Fuels. This bill would create an Office of Special Counsel on Transportation Fuels which would promote energy conservation and competition in transportation fuel supply
SB 757 (Kehoe) Oil Conservation, Efficiency and Alternative Fuels Act. This bill would enact the Oil Conservation, Efficiency, and Alternative Fuels Act, which would declare that it is the policy of the state that state agencies shall take all cost-effective and technologically feasible actions needed to reduce the growth of petroleum consumption, and increase transportation energy conservation, efficiency, and the use of alternative fuels. (Introduced 2/22/2005)
SB 1505 (Lowenthal) Hydrogen-based Alternative Fuels. This bill would adopt a plan called the "Hydrogen Highway Network Blueprint" that would require lower emissions of greenhouse gases, nitrogen oxides, and reactive gases from new hydrogen-fueled vehicles than the average gasoline-fueled vehicles.
SB 1675 (Kehoe) Diesel Fuel. This bill would require all diesel fuel to contain at least 2% biodiesel fuel by 2008 and 5% by 2010.
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Source for legislative data summaries was in part provided by Energy Policy Initiative Center.Additional Resources
- Legislative Principles to Achieve Energy Security ( SDREO Recommendations consistent with the San Diego Regional Energy Plan)
- 2003 Legislative Summary Report to the Regional Energy Policy Advisory Committee (REPAC)
- 2002 Legislative Summary Report to REPAC
- Official California Legislative Information (Bill Search, Legislative Calendar, Links to Government sites)
- Official U.S. Legislative Information (Bill Search, Links to U.S. Congress)
- California Governor's Homepage
- California State Assembly
- California State Senate
- Flex Your Power
- San Diego Energy Resource Center - Resource Links
