Summary of the 2011 legislation related to renewable/distributed generation, climate change/greenhouse gas, energy/water efficiency, rates/utilities, and transportation/green building.
CHAPTERED BILLS
ENERGY/WATER EFFICIENCY
SB 454
Author: Pavley
Topic: Energy efficiency standards
Chaptered: 10/08/11
Existing law requires the CEC to prescribe, by regulation, appliance efficiency standards. This bill would authorize the CEC to establish an administrative enforcement process to enforce the above standards, and provide for the assessment of civil penalties by the courts or administrative civil penalties by the CEC for a violation of the above standards. The bill would require the penalties collected to be deposited in the Appliance Efficiency Enforcement Subaccount, which this bill would establish in the Energy Resources Program Account, and would authorize the CEC to expend the moneys in the subaccount, upon appropriation by the Legislature, as specified. This bill would prohibit a public utility from issuing rebates or incentives for energy efficiency improvements unless the recipient of the rebate or incentive certifies that was done in compliance with all applicable permitting requirements and by a licensed contractor, if applicable, for the improvement or installation.
SB 679
Author: Pavley
Topic: Energy: energy conservation projects: financial assistance: local governments and public institutions
Chaptered: 10/08/11
The Energy Conservation Assistance Act of 1979 requires, until January 1, 2013, the CEC to provide loans to eligible institutions, including local governments and public institutions, to finance all or a portion of the costs incurred in implementing projects related to energy conservation. Existing law appropriated $50,000,000 from the Renewable Resource Trust Fund to the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority to implement the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Reserve program, which provides for the issuance of bonds secured by voluntary contractual assessments on property to finance the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, or energy or water efficiency improvements. This bill would appropriate $250,000 of the unencumbered balance of the $50,000,000 that was appropriated to the authority to the Energy Conservation Assistance Account, a continuously appropriated account, to be expended by the CEC for the purposes of providing loans to eligible institutions, thereby making an appropriation.
RATES/UTILITIES/REGULATORS
SB 790
Author: Leno
Topic: Electricity: community choice aggregation
Chaptered: 10/08/11
This bill would require the CPUC to institute a rulemaking proceeding by March 1, 2012, for the purpose of considering and adopting a code of conduct, associated rules, and enforcement procedures, to govern the conduct of an electrical corporation relative to the consideration, formation, and implementation of community choice aggregation programs and to implement the code of conduct, associated rules, and enforcement procedures by January 1, 2013. This bill would expand the entities that are permitted to undertake community choice aggregation. The bill would require that the electrical load data to be supplied by an electrical corporation as part of its duty to cooperate fully with any community choice aggregator include electrical consumption data. The bill would require the governing body of a community choice aggregator to adopt a policy that expressly prohibits the dissemination by the community choice aggregator of any statement relating to the community choice aggregator’s rates or terms and conditions of service that is untrue or misleading, and that is known, or that, by the exercise of reasonable care, should be known, to be untrue or misleading.
AB 95
Author: Committee on Budget
Topic: Public resources
Chaptered: 3/24/11
This Resources Trailer Bill for the Budget Act of 2011 makes various changes necessary to implement the Budget Act of 2011. The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of this bill, and instead, this bill requires the CPUC to report by January 10 of every year on its interactions with a newly established foundation, the " CPUC Foundation," including any endorsements, funding, and actual and proposed expenditures by the CPUC, its officers or its staff with the CPUC Foundation.
AB 209
Author: Ammiano
Topic: Environment: CEQA: lead agency: documents
Committee Location: Senate Appropriations
Chaptered: 8/4/11
CEQA requires any lead agency that is preparing an environmental impact report or a negative declaration or making a specified determination to provide public notice of that fact within a reasonable period of time prior to certification of the environmental impact report or negative declaration. CEQA further requires that the notice contain specified information, including the address where copies of the draft environmental impact report or negative declaration, and all documents referenced are available for review. This bill would additionally require that the notice include a description of how the draft environmental impact report or negative declaration can be provided in an electronic format.
RENEWABLES/DISTRIBUTED GENERATION
SBX1 2
Author: Simitian
Topic: Energy: renewable energy resources
Chaptered: 4/12/11
This bill requires investor owned utilities, local publicly owned utilities and energy service providers to increase purchases of renewable energy such that at least 33 percent of retail sales are procured from renewable energy resource by December 31, 2020. In the interim, each entity is required to procure an average of 20 percent of renewable energy for the period of January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2016, and 33 percent by 2020. It revises certain terms used in the Renewable Energy Resource Program and revises certain eligibility criteria for a renewable electrical generation facility. It requires the CPUC by January 1, 2012 to establish the quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to be procured by each retail seller for specified compliance periods, sufficient to ensure that procurement of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources achieves 25 percent of retail sales by December 31, 2016, and 33 percent of retail sales by December 31, 2020, and that retail sellers procure not less than 33 percent of retail sales in all subsequent years, as specified. It requires the CEC to design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the RPS requirements by retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities and to adopt regulations by July 1, 2011 specifying procedures for enforcement of the RPS requirements that include a public process, as specified.
SB 489
Author: Wolk
Topic: Electricity: net energy metering
Chaptered: 10/08/11
This bill would revise the definition of an eligible customer-generator to require that the generating facility utilize a renewable source listed in the definition of a renewable electrical generation facility that is used for purposes of the Renewable Energy Resources Program administered by the CEC. This bill would provide that a small hydroelectric generation facility is not an eligible renewable electrical generation facility if it will cause an adverse impact on instream beneficial uses or cause a change in the volume or timing of streamflow. Existing law established a pilot program to provide energy Net Metering for eligible biogas digester customer-generators. This bill would repeal that pilot program. The bill would make other conforming changes to reflect that repeal.
SB 771
Author: Kehoe
Topic: California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority
Chaptered: 10/08/11
This bill would revise the definition of “renewable energy” and would additionally define “ultralow-emission energy” to include energy generation based on natural gas turbines, landfill gas turbines, digester gas turbines, microturbines, natural gas engines, landfill gas engines, and digester gas engines and fuel cells that the authority, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, determines to meet specified requirements. This bill would also revise the definition of “project” to include a project that utilizes or is designed to utilize alternative source components.
SB 836
Author: Padilla
Topic: Renewable energy resources: cost reporting
Chaptered: 10/08/11
This bill would, by no later than January 1, 2012, require the CPUC to release to the Legislature the costs of all electricity procurement contracts for eligible renewable energy resources and all costs for utility-owned generation approved by the commission since January 1, 2003. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2012, and every 6 months thereafter, require the CPUC to release data to the Legislature for costs approved during the prior six months.
AB 512
Author: Gordon
Topic: Local government renewable energy self-generation program
Chaptered: 10/06/11
This bill would expand the definition of an eligible renewable generating facility to include a facility that has a generating capacity of no more than 5 MW for the purpose of granting to a local government a bill credit to a designated benefiting account resulting from electricity generated and exported to the grid by a renewable generating facility. The bill would prohibit an electrical corporation from being required to compensate a local government for electricity generated from a facility in excess of the bill credits applied to the designated benefiting account. The bill would prohibit a local government from being eligible for any other tariff or program that requires an electrical corporation to purchase generation from an eligible renewable generating facility participating in the program. The bill would exempt an electrical corporation with 60,000 or fewer customer accounts from the program.
AB 982
Author: Skinner
Topic: Energy: land exchange for renewable energy-related projects
Chaptered: 10/06/11
This bill would require the State Lands Commission to make best efforts to enter into a memorandum of agreement by April 1, 2012, with the United States Secretary of the Interior to facilitate land exchanges consolidating school land parcels into contiguous holdings that are suitable for renewable energy-related projects. The bill would require the State Lands Commission, by January 1 of each year, to report to the Legislature on the status of the memorandum of agreement and school land consolidation efforts for renewable energy-related projects.
GREEN JOBS
SBX1 1
Author: Steinberg
Topic: Partnership academies: Clean Technology and Renewable Energy Job Training, Career Technical Education, and Dropout Prevention Program Chaptered: 4/18/11
Existing law establishes the partnership academies program as a school-business partnership program to provide occupational training to educationally disadvantaged high school pupils. This bill would require the Controller annually to allocate $8,000,000 from the Renewable Resource Trust Fund or other related fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The bill would require the Superintendent to award grants, as specified, to school districts that propose to implement or maintain a partnership academy that focuses on employment in clean technology businesses and renewable energy businesses and provides skilled workforces for the products and services for energy or water conservation, or both, renewable energy, pollution reduction, or other technologies.
TRANSPORTATION/GREEN BUILDING
AB 61
Author: Jeffries
Topic: Neighborhood electric vehicles
Chaptered: 8/4/11
This bill would authorize the County of Riverside or any city in the county to establish a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle transportation plan for a plan area that may include any applicable portion of the county or city, as specified, subject to the same penalties. The bill would require the plan to be submitted to the Department of Transportation for review and approval, would require a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2016, if the county adopts a plan, and repeal these provisions on January 1, 2017.
AB 462
Author: Lowenthal
Topic: Air pollution districts:fees: schoolbuses.
Chaptered: 9/6/11
This bill would authorize specified air pollution control districts and air-quality management districts to use the last $2 of the $6 vehicle registration fee for programs to replace on-board natural gas tanks on school buses owned by a school district that are 14 years or older, with a funding not to exceed $20,000 per bus and to enhance deteriorating natural gas fueling dispensers of fueling infrastructure operated by a school district, with a one-time funding not to exceed $500 per dispenser.
AB 1314
Author: Wieckowski
Topic: Air resources: Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program
Chaptered: 10/6/11
The CEC is required to develop and adopt an investment plan to determine priorities and opportunities for the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program. This bill would authorize costs incurred from the date a proposed award is noticed to be counted as non-state matching funds. This bill would revise provisions relating to the investment plan for the program by making these provisions applicable only to investment plan updates
AB 631
Author: Ma
Topic: Public utilities: electric vehicle charging stations
Chaptered: 10/06/11
This bill would provide that the ownership, control, operation, or management of a facility that supplies electricity to the public only for use to charge light duty plug-in electric vehicles, as defined, does not make the corporation or person a public utility for purposes of the Public Utilities Act.
TRANSMISSION
SB 674
Author: Padilla
Topic: Telecommunications: master-metering: data security
Chaptered: 9/6/11
This bill would repeal the California High Speed Internet Access Act of 1999. This bill would exclude from the definition of "rebate" for master-meter customers the award of a monetary incentive under the California Solar Initiative for a solar energy system that provides electrical generation to a mobile home park. It also would require that contracts between an electrical or gas corporation and a third party obtain a customer's consent prior to the use of the customer's electrical or gas data by the third party for a secondary commercial purpose unrelated to the primary purpose of the contract.
NATURAL GAS
SB 44
Author: Corbett
Topic: Public utilities: gas pipeline emergency response standards
Chaptered:10/08/11 This bill would designate the CPUC as the state authority responsible for regulating and enforcing intrastate gas pipeline transportation and pipeline facilities pursuant to federal law, including the development, submission, and administration of a state pipeline safety program certification for natural gas pipelines. The bill would require the CPUC, by July 1, 2012, to open an appropriate proceeding or expand the scope of an existing proceeding to establish compatible emergency response standards that owners or operators of certain commission-regulated gas pipeline facilities would be required to follow. The standards would require owners or operators of intrastate transmission and distribution lines to implement emergency response plans, with specified requirements, that are compatible with the United States Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA’s) regulations concerning emergency plans. The bill would require the owners of intrastate transmission lines to provide the State Fire Marshal and the chief fire official of the applicable local government with instructions on how to access and utilize the National Pipeline Mapping System developed by PHMSA to improve local response capabilities for pipeline emergencies. The bill would require the CPUC to report to the Legislature on the status of establishing the compatible emergency response standards on or before January 1, 2013.
AB 56
Author: Hill
Topic: Gas corporations: rate recovery and expenditure: intrastate pipeline safety
Chaptered: 10/07/11
This bill would prohibit a gas corporation from recovering any fine or penalty in any rate approved by the CPUC. The bill would require a gas corporation to file semiannual reports with the CPUC and the Division of Ratepayer Advocates describing how the utility is spending moneys that the CPUC has authorized to be collected from ratepayers to reimburse the utility for public safety activities. The bill would require the CPUC in consultation with the CPUC’s Division of Ratepayer Advocates, to work to align ratemaking policies, practices, and incentives to better reflect safety concerns and ensure ongoing commitments to public safety. The bill would require the commission, in any ratemaking proceeding in which the commission authorizes a gas corporation to recover expenses for a federal transmission pipeline integrity management program, or for capital expenditures for the maintenance and repair of transmission pipelines, to require the gas corporation to establish and maintain a one-way balancing account for the recovery of those expenses. This bill would designate the CPUC as the state authority responsible for development, submission, and administration of a state pipeline safety program certification for natural gas pipelines. The bill would require owners and operators of intrastate transmission and distribution lines, at least once each calendar year, to meet with each local fire department having fire suppression responsibilities in the area served by the owner or operator’s transmission and distribution pipelines to discuss and review contingency plans for emergencies involving the intrastate transmission and distribution lines within the jurisdiction of the local fire department. The bill would require the commission, unless it determines that doing so is preempted under federal law, to require the installation of automatic shutoff or remote controlled sectionalized block valves on certain intrastate transmission lines, as defined.
SB 216
Author: Yee
Topic: Public utilities: intrastate natural gas pipeline safety
Chaptered: 10/08/11
This bill would designate the CPUC as the state authority responsible for regulating and enforcing intrastate gas pipeline transportation and pipeline facilities pursuant to federal law, including the development, submission, and administration of a state pipeline safety program certification for natural gas pipelines. The bill would require the CPUC to require the installation of automatic shut-off or remote controlled sectionalized block valves on certain intrastate transmission lines that are located in a high consequence area or that traverse an active seismic earthquake fault. The bill would require the owner or operator of a CPUC-regulated gas pipeline facility that is an intrastate transmission line to provide the CPUC with a valve location plan, along with any recommendations for valve locations, and would authorize the CPUC to make modifications to the valve location plan.
SB 705
Author: Leno
Topic: Natural gas: service and safety
Chaptered: 10/08/11
This bill would designate the CPUC as the state authority over gas corporations, but not over local public agencies, responsible for regulating and enforcing intrastate gas pipeline transportation and pipeline facilities pursuant to federal law, including the development, submission, and administration of a state pipeline safety program certification for natural gas pipelines. The bill would require each gas corporation to develop a plan, as specified, for the safe and reliable operation of its gas plants, as defined, and would require the CPUC to accept, modify, or reject the plan for each gas corporation by December 31, 2012, and to build into an approved plan sufficient flexibility to redirect activities to respond to safety requirements. The bill would require that the plan be periodically reviewed and updated.
SB 879
Author: Padilla
Topic: Natural Gas Pipelines: safety
Chaptered: 10/08/11
This bill would require in any ratemaking proceeding in which the CPUC authorizes a gas corporation to recover expenses the gas corporation’s transmission pipeline integrity management program or capital expenditures for maintenance and repair of transmission pipelines, that the CPUC require the gas corporation to establish and maintain a one-way balancing account for the recovery of those expenses. This bill would designate the CPUC as the state authority responsible for regulating and enforcing intrastate gas pipeline transportation and pipeline facilities pursuant to federal law, including the development, submission, and administration of a state pipeline safety program certification for natural gas pipelines.
ENROLLED BILLS
RENEWABLES/DISTRIBUTED GENERATION
SB 16
Author: Rubio
Topic: Renewable energy: Department of Fish and Game: expedited permitting
Committee Location: None; Enrolled and presented to the Governor
Last action date: 9/9/11; Amended: 8/25/11
This bill would require the Department of Fish and Game to take prescribed procedural steps regarding applications for certain eligible renewable energy projects, including determining whether the application is complete or incomplete, notifying the applicant of its determination, and approving or rejecting an incidental take permit application for an eligible project 60 days or less from the date the application is deemed complete, unless a longer period is agreed upon by the department and applicant. The Department of Fish and Game would also be required to provide an accounting to the Legislature on incidental take permit applications for eligible renewable energy projects and a report on how much of the environmental review is done by the department or other entities. This bill would declare that it is to become operative only if AB 13 of the 2011–2012 First Extraordinary Session is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2012.
SB 585
Author: Kehoe
Topic: Energy: solar energy systems: funding
Committee Location: None; Enrolled and presented to Governor
Last action date: 9/9/11; Amended: 8/18/11
Existing law requires the CPUC, in implementing the California Solar Initiative, to ensure that the total cost over the duration of the program does not exceed $3,350,800,000, and imposes monetary limits on programs funded by charges collected from customer’s of the state's 3 largest electrical corporations and on programs adopted, implemented, and financed by charges collected by local publicly owned electrical utilities. This bill would increase the cost limit to $3,550,800,000, and make a corresponding increase in a monetary limit imposed on programs funded by charges collected from customers of the state’s 3 largest electrical corporations. This bill would require the CPUC, to fund certain program shortfalls, to first allocate interest accumulated from customer collections and, for the remainder of the shortfall, to increase collections from customers of the state’s 3 largest electrical corporations for specified programs. The bill, except as specified, would set the discount rate for interest at 4%. The bill would require the CPUC within 90 days of the enactment of the bill, to establish and impose project cost caps for residential and nonresidential projects under the California Solar Initiative, based on national and state installed cost data.
AB 982
Author: Skinner
Topic: Energy: land exchange for renewable energy-related projects
Committee Location: None; Enrolled and presented to the Governor
Last action date: 9/16/11; Amended: 8/30/11
This bill would require the State Lands Commission to make best efforts to enter into a memorandum of agreement by April 1, 2012, with the United States Secretary of the Interior to facilitate land exchanges consolidating school land parcels into contiguous holdings that are suitable for renewable energy-related projects. The bill would require the State Lands Commission, by January 1 of each year, to report to the Legislature on the status of the memorandum of agreement and school land consolidation efforts for renewable energy-related projects.
AB 1150
Author: V. Manuel Perez
Topic: Self-Generation Incentive Program
Committee Location: None; Enrolled and presented to Governor
Last action date: 9/20/11; Amended: 9/08/11
This bill would extend the authority of the CPUC to authorize electrical corporations to continue making the annual collections for the SGIP through December 31, 2012.
TRANSPORTATION/GREEN BUILDING
AB 650
Author: Blumenfeld
Topic: Blue Ribbon Task Force on Public Transportation for the 21st Century
Committee Location: None; Enrolled and presented to the Governor
Last action date: 9/14/11; Amended: 8/15/11
This bill would establish, until March 30, 2013, the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Public Transportation for the 21st Century. The bill would require the task force to be comprised of 12 members and would require the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly each appoint six specified members by January 31, 2012. The bill would require the task force to issue a written report that contains specified findings and recommendations relating to, among other things, the current state of California’s transit system, the estimated cost of creating the needed system over various terms, and potential sources of funding to sustain the transit system’s needs, and to submit the report by September 30, 2012, to the Governor, the Legislature, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Senate Committee on Rules, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the transportation committees of the Legislature. The bill would require the task force, for purposes of collecting information for the written report, to consult with appropriate state agencies and departments and would require the task force to contract with consultants for preparation of the report. The bill would require the Department of Transportation to provide administrative staffing to the task force. The bill would appropriate $750,000 from the Public Transportation Account to the department, as specified, to accomplish the purposes of these provisions.
ACTIVE BILLS: (Passed out of house of origin as of June 3, 2011)
CLIMATE CHANGE/GREENHOUSE GASES ( GHG)
AB 333
Author: Grove
Topic: California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: cap-and-trade program
Committee Location: Assembly Natural Resources
Last action date: 6/27/11; Amended: 5/ 11/ 2011
This bill would require CARB to make findings and submit a status report to the Legislature no later than July 31, 2011, on the readiness of a proposed cap-and-trade program to begin January 1, 2012. The bill would authorize the board, if it makes a specified finding in the status report, to commence the cap-and-trade program after January 1, 2012, but no later than January 1, 2013. The bill would require the board to provide an annual cap-and-trade status report to the Legislature. Failed passage; reconsideration granted 6/27/11
AB 343
Author: Atkins
Topic: Redevelopment plans: environmental goals
Committee Location: Senate Governance and Finance
Last action date: 6/23/11; Amended 6/14/11
This bill would require each redevelopment plan be consistent with the regional sustainable communities strategy or alternative planning strategy adopted by the metropolitan planning organization or council of government. Set second hearing; canceled at the request of author
AB 467
Author: Eng
Topic: Environment: Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006
Committee Location: Assembly Appropriations
Last action date: 5/27/11; Amended: 3/31/11
The Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, makes $60,000,000 available to the State Department of Public Health for the purpose of loans and grants for projects to prevent or reduce contamination of groundwater that serves as a source of drinking water and requires the department to require repayment for costs that are subsequently recovered from parties responsible for the contamination. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the Department of Toxic Substances Control and the State Water Resources Control Board, to develop and adopt regulations governing the repayment of costs that are subsequently recovered from parties responsible for the contamination of groundwater. This bill would instead require the State Department of Public Health, in collaboration with those agencies, to develop guidelines governing this repayment that would allow grantees to retain repayments to fund ongoing or additional groundwater cleanup activities. Hearing postponed by committee
SB 533
Author: Wright
Topic: California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: State Air Resources Board regulations
Committee Location: Assembly Appropriations
Last action date: 8/25/11; Amended: 4/25/11
This bill would require the CARB to make available to the public, at the time that CARB adopts a regulation pursuant to the act, any implementation schedule that is required to comply with that regulation. If a regulation adopted by CARB specifically requires a reporting form, or a compliance tool, as defined, CARB would be required to make this information available to the public on CARB's Internet Web site at least 60 days prior to the date the information is required for compliance with the regulation. The bill would require training specifically required by a regulation to be made available at least 60 days prior to the compliance date for which the training is required. Held in committee and under submission
SB 535
Author: De Leon
Topic: California Communities Healthy Air Revitalization Trust
Committee Location: Assembly Appropriations
Last action date: 8/25/11; Amended: 7/5/11
This bill would establish the California Communities Healthy Air Revitalization Trust in the State Treasury. The moneys in the trust would be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, in the most impacted and disadvantaged communities, as defined, to fund programs or projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or mitigate direct health or environmental impacts of climate change through competitive grants, loans, or other funding mechanisms. The bill would require CARB to administer moneys appropriated from the trust, establish criteria and procedures, and meet other specified requirements in connection with implementation Hearing postponed by committee
ENERGY/WATER EFFICIENCY
SB 35
Author: Padilla
Topic: California Energy Research and Technology Act of 2011
Committee Location: Assembly Natural Resources
Last action date: 7/11/11; Amended: 7/11/11
This bill would enact the California Energy Research and Technology Program Act of 2011 (act). The bill would require the CEC to establish and administer the California Energy Research and Technology program (CERT) to fund research, development, and demonstration projects that may lead to advancement and breakthroughs to overcome those barriers that prevent the achievement of the state’s statutory energy goals. The bill would require the CEC to convene, no less than twice a year, meetings of the CERT Coordinating Council consisting of members representing specified entities and would require the council to identify the technological challenges that most warranted funding under the CERT and opportunities for joint funding of projects and to make recommendations for avoiding the funding of duplicative projects. The bill would require the CEC to adopt regulations or modify existing regulations to implement the CERT and would require the CEC to consult with the CERT Coordinating Council to establish a process for tracking the progress and outcome of funded projects.
AB 1073
Author: Fuentes
Topic: Electrical corporation energy efficiency programs: application requirements
Committee Location: Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications
Last action date: 9/9/11; Amended: 7/12/11
This bill would prohibit an energy utility, as defined, from issuing rebates or incentives for energy efficiency improvements unless the recipient of the rebate or incentive certifies that the improvement or installation has complied with applicable permitting requirements and appropriate licensing requirements. Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Padilla
RATES/UTILITIES/REGULATORS
SB 682
Author: Rubio
Topic: Public resources: oil and gas: underground injection of gas.
Committee Location: Assembly Natural Resources
Last action date: 7/13/11; Amended: 7/13/11
This bill would authorize the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources in the Department of Conservation to permit the underground injection of a gas, as defined. The bill would require the division to establish standards for the permitting of gas injection.
AB 723
Author: Bradford
Topic: Energy: public goods charge
Committee Location: Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications
Last action date: 6/29/11; Amended: 6/29/11
The Reliable Electric Services Act states that it is the policy of the state to administer cost-effective energy efficiency programs and requires the commission to ensure that local and regional interests, multifamily dwellings, and energy service industry capabilities are incorporated into program portfolio design and that local governments, community-based organizations, and energy efficiency service providers are encouraged to participate in program implementation where appropriate. This bill would require the CPUC to implement various elements and principles for the state’s investments in cost-effective energy efficiency improvements pursuant to the Reliable Electric Services Act.
AB 796
Author: Blumenfield
Topic: Financial assistance
Committee Location: Senate Appropriations
Last action date: 9/6/11; Amended: 9/2/11
This bill would require the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority ( CAEATFA) to establish the Clean Energy and Jobs Incentive Program to provide financial assistance in the form of loan loss reserves to a participating financial institution providing loans to California-based entities for the development and expansion of manufacturing facilities or the installation of eligible technologies, as defined. This bill would increase the maximum loan loss reserves contribution by the financial institution to $200,000, if the matching contribution made by the authority is funded exclusively from funds made available pursuant to the federal Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.
AB 976
Author: Hall
Topic: Public contracts: consulting services: community choice aggregators
Committee Location: Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications
Last action date: 7/5/11; Amended: 4/25/11
Existing law prohibits a person, firm, or subsidiary thereof, which has been awarded a consulting services contract from submitting a bid for, or being awarded a contract for, the provision of services, procurement of goods or supplies, or any other related action which is required, suggested, or otherwise deemed appropriate in the end product of the consulting services contract, except as specified. This bill would also prohibit a person, firm, or subsidiary thereof, which has been awarded a consulting services contract for advising a public entity on the feasibility of creating a community choice aggregator, as defined, from submitting a bid for, or being awarded a contract for any work including the procurement of electric supply and renewable energy credits, or any other related action which is required, suggested, or otherwise deemed appropriate in the end product of the consulting services contract. By imposing new restrictions on local government entities with respect to their contract procedures, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Hearing canceled at request of author
RENEWABLES/DISTRIBUTED GENERATION
SB 23
Author: Simitian, Kehoe, and Steinberg
Topic: Energy: renewable energy resources
Committee Location: None; Ordered to Senate
Last action date: 9/10/11; Amended: 9/9/11
Under the California renewables portfolio standard program ( RPS program) and the Renewable Energy Resources Program, the CEC is required to study and provide a report to the Legislature that analyzes run-of-river hydroelectric generating facilities in British Columbia, including whether these facilities are, or should be, included as renewable electrical generation facilities for purposes of the RPS program by June 30, 2011. The CEC is required to adopt regulations specifying procedures for enforcement of the RPS requirements by July 1, 2011. The CPUC is required, by July 1, 2011, to determine the effective load carrying capacity of wind and solar energy resources on the electrical grid. This bill would extend the compliance date for these requirements by one year.
SB 58
Author: Runner
Topic: Antelope Valley Fairgrounds EE and PV Synergy Demonstration Project
Committee Location: Assembly Utilities and Commerce
Last action date: 6/2/11; Amended: 3/31/11
This bill would extend the provisions relating to the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds EE and PV Synergy Demonstration Project, a project that would include the installation of cost-effective energy-efficient equipment and fixtures, and a photovoltaic solar energy system of up to 630 kW, until January 1, 2018.
SB 175
Author: Corbett
Topic: Public contracts: bid preferences: solar photovoltaic system
Committee Location: Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection
Last action date: 7/6/11; Amended: 6/27/11
This bill would require a state agency that accepts bids or proposals for a contract for the purchase or installation of a solar photovoltaic system to provide a 5% preference to a business that certifies that all of the solar panels installed as part of the solar photovoltaic system have been manufactured or assembled in California. Failed passage in Committee 7/6/11; reconsideration granted
AB 644
Author: Blumenfield
Topic: Energy: renewable energy facility: siting
Committee Location: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications
Last action date: 6/21/11; Amended: 6/14/11
This bill would require the CEC, in consultation with the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the Department of Conservation, to establish criteria for identifying land with a high potential for use as a site of a renewable energy generation facility with a generation capacity of less than 50 MW in 3 specific types of parcels and to prepare a list identifying lands meeting the criteria. The bill would require the CEC, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the Department of Conservation, to make best efforts to work with the United States Environmental Protection Agency under that agency’s RE-Powering America’s Land: Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites initiative. Hearing canceled at request of author
AB 864
Author: Huffman
Topic: Electricity: self-generation incentive program
Committee Location: Senate Appropriations
Last action date: 8/15/11; Amended: 4/28/11
This bill would require that distributed energy resources with a nameplate generating capacity of up to 10 MW are eligible for incentives, but would limit the award of incentives to not more than 5 MW of that capacity. The bill would limit incentives being made available for distributed energy resources with a nameplate generating capacity above 3 MW to those technologies that meet cost-effectiveness rules established by the CPUC. The bill would require that incentives made available for distributed energy resources with a nameplate generating capacity greater than 3 MW be based on a declining schedule determined by the CPUC. Hearing canceled at request of author
AB 1302
Author: Williams
Topic: Distributed generation
Committee Location: Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications
Last action date: 6/27/11; Amended: 5/27/11
This bill would require each large electrical corporation, as defined, and large local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, to provide maps and other information identifying and designating zones within their respective service territories that are optimal for deployment of distributed generation as provided. The bill would require the CPUC and large local publicly owned electric utilities, to develop rules for the implementation of this requirement, as provided. The bill would require priority to be given for distributed generation projects proposed to be located within a zone designated pursuant to these provisions. Hearing canceled at request of author
AB 1303
Author: Williams
Topic: Energy programs
Committee Location: Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications
Last action date: 7/7/11; Amended: 7/7/11
Currently the PUC is in charge of requiring the 3 largest electrical corporations in the state, until January 1, 2012, to identify a separate electrical rate component to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy, and research, development and demonstration programs. This bill would extend that requirement until January 1, 2020. Additionally, the PUC or the electrical corporations must collect $65,000,000 in total per year for renewable energy and $62,500,000 in total per year for research, development, and demonstration. The bill would increase the amount collected to $90,000,000. This bill would extend to January 1, 2020, the authorization to expend moneys in the Renewable Resource Trust Fund for the implementation of renewable resources programs, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would revise and recast the legislative recommendations on the allocation of the moneys in the fund, and revise and recast the Public Interest Research, Development, and Demonstration Program.
TRANSPORTATION/GREEN BUILDING
SB 211
Author: Emmerson and Harman
Topic: California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: tire inflation regulation
Committee Location: Senate; Consideration of Governors veto pending Last action date: 9/6/11; Amended: 8/16/11
This bill, until January 1, 2017, would authorize a tire pressure gauge used to meet the requirements of CARB’s regulation requiring automobile service providers, by September 1, 2010, to check and inflate vehicle tires to the recommended pressure rating when performing automobile maintenance or repair services to be accurate within a range of plus or minus 2 pounds per square inch of pressure (2 psi). The bill, until January 1, 2017, would authorize automotive service providers to meet the requirements of the regulation without checking and inflating a vehicle’s tire if that tire is determined to be an unsafe tire, as defined.
SB 724
Author: Dutton
Topic: State Air Resources Board: penalties: mobile source certification
Committee Location: Senate; Consideration of Governors veto pending Last action date: 9/06/11; Amended: 6/22/11
This bill would require CARB, within 30 working days after receipt of an application for certification of a new, a carryover, or a partial carryover on-road or off-road vehicle, engine, or equipment family to inform the applicant, in writing, either that the application is complete and accepted for filing, or that the application is deficient, identifying the specific information required to make the application complete.
NATURAL GAS
AB 1186
Author: Skinner
Topic: Electrical generation: source disclosures
Committee Location: Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications
Last action date: 6/20/11; Amended: 3/25/11
Existing law establishes a program under which retail suppliers of electricity disclose accurate, reliable, and simple to understand information on the sources of energy that are used to provide electric services. This bill would require that require that usage of natural gas be separately disclosed: (1) when it is used for conventional powerplant and peaker plant generation, and (2) when it is used for combined heat and power system generation. Hearing canceled at request of author
TRANSMISSION
AB 1214
Author: Skinner
Topic: Electrical transmission
Committee Location: Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications
Last action date: 6/22/11; Amended: 5/27/11
This bill would require the Independent System Operator (ISO) and the CPUC to jointly evaluate all electrical transmission facilities that have been identified in the ISO’s most recently approved transmission plan and determine which of those transmission facilities are necessary or useful to interconnect eligible renewable energy resources to facilitate achievement of the procurement requirements established for retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities pursuant to the RPS program. The bill would require the CPUC and ISO, by March 31, 2012, to publish a report that includes a time frame for obtaining all governmental approvals for, construction of, and placement into service of, each of the transmission facilities determined to be necessary or useful to interconnect eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to the bill’s requirements. Hearing canceled at request of author
AB 724
Author: Bradford
Topic: Electric and gas utility service: master-meter customers
Committee Location: None; Senate floor third reading
Last action date: 9/10/11; Amended: 9/9/11
This bill would require the CPUC, by February 1, 2012, to open an investigation or other appropriate proceeding to evaluate when an owner of a mobilehome park or manufactured housing community that provides master-metered gas or electric service to its residents of the park or community should be required to transfer responsibility for gas or electric service to the gas or electrical corporation providing service in the area in which the park or community is located, in addition to those plants, facilities, and interests in real property that the CPUC, in consultation with the gas or electrical corporation, determines are necessary, convenient, or cost effective to provide service.
