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Bills We're Tracking
2005-2006 Legislative Session

Click on any bill number to search for the complete status and history of the bill

AB 177

Bogh

Solid waste: biomass conversion: transformation.

The existing California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 establishes an integrated waste management program administered by the California Integrated Waste Management Board. The act defines the term "biomass conversion" as meaning the controlled combustion of specified materials, when separated from other solid waste and used for producing electricity or heat, but excludes from that definition the controlled combustion of recyclable pulp or recyclable paper materials, or materials that contain sewage sludge, industrial sludge, medical waste, or specified hazardous or radioactive waste. The act also defines the term "transformation" as meaning incineration, pyrolysis, distillation, or biological conversion other than composting. The act provides that "transformation" dues not include composting, gasification, or biomass conversion. This bill would revise the definition of biomass conversion to instead mean the controlled combustion, thermal conversion, chemical conversion, or biological conversion, other than composting, of biomass waste used for producing electricity, heat, or a reconstituted product that meets the quality standards for use in the marketplace. The bill would define the term "biomass waste" as meaning organic material that is source separated from the municipal solid waste stream or that is separated at a centralized facility. The bill would also revise the definition of transformation to mean the incineration of mixed solid waste, excluding composting, gasification, or biomass conversion. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 200

Leslie

Renewable energy resources: California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program.

The Public Utilities Act imposes various duties and responsibilities on the Public Utilities Commission with respect to the purchase of electricity and requires the commission to review and adopt a procurement plan and a renewable energy procurement plan for each electrical corporation pursuant to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program. The program requires that a retail seller of electricity, including electrical corporations, community choice aggregators, and electric service providers, but not including local publicly owned electric utilities, purchase a specified minimum percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, in any given year as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to retail end-use customers each calendar year (renewables portfolio standard). The renewables portfolio standard requires each electrical corporation to increase its total procurement of eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1% of retail sales per year so that 20% of its retail sales are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2017. This bill would adopt certain modifications to the renewables portfolio standard program that are applicable only to an electrical corporation with 60,000 or fewer customer accounts in California that serves retail end-use customers outside California.

AB 380

Nunez

Electricity: electrical restructuring: resource adequacy.

The California Constitution establishes the Public Utilities Commission, and provides it with jurisdiction over all public utilities. The Constitution grants the commission certain general powers over all public utilities, subject to control by the Legislature, and authorizes the Legislature, unlimited by the other provisions of the Constitution, to confer additional authority and jurisdiction upon the commission, that is cognate and germane to the regulation of public utilities. This bill would require the commission, in consultation with the Independent System Operator, to establish resource adequacy requirements 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, and would require the commission to implement and enforce these resource adequacy requirements in a nondiscriminatory manner on all load serving entities. The bill would require that the cost of meeting resource adequacy requirements, including the costs associated with system reliability and local area reliability found reasonable by the commission, be fully recoverable from all customers taking service from an electrical corporation on a nonbypassable basis at the time the commitment to incur the cost is made or thereafter. The bill would require that all load serving entities, including electric service providers and community choice aggregators, are subject to the same requirements for resource adequacy, resource diversity, cost-effective energy efficiency, and the renewables portfolio standard, as are applicable to an electrical corporation. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 515

Richman

electrical corporations.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission regulates electrical corporations. The Public Utilities Act requires the commission to authorize direct transactions between electricity suppliers and end-use customers. However, other existing law suspends the right of retail end-use customers to acquire direct access service from certain electricity suppliers after a period of time to be determined by the commission until the Department of Water Resources no longer supplies electricity under a certain provision of law. Existing law requires the commission to review and adopt a procurement plan for each electrical corporation. The commission is required to establish procurement balancing accounts to track the differences between recorded revenues and costs to ensure that each electrical corporation timely recovers prospective procurement costs pursuant to their procurement plan. The bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2006, to adopt rules under which noncore customers, as defined, by a date certain on or before June 30, 2006, elect whether to procure electricity service (commodity service) from an electric service provider, elect to receive commodity service from the electrical corporation under a procurement plan for a minimum period of 3 years, or receive default commodity service from the electrical corporation. Beginning January 1, 2007, an electrical corporation's obligation to provide commodity service from its procurement plan would extend only to core and core-elect customers, as defined, and to provide default commodity service to noncore customers. Default commodity service would be provided at the higher of the electrical corporation's costs of spot electricity purchases, or the tariff rate for core-elect customers purchasing commodity service pursuant to the electrical corporation's procurement plan. The commission would be required to establish rules to ensure that the costs of providing default commodity service to noncore customers are paid solely by those noncore customers, without impacting the rates and charges of core customers. The bill would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2006, to establish tariffs for noncore customers that include all applicable transmission, distribution, public goods, and cost recovery surcharge costs otherwise paid by noncore customers for certain purposes. Noncore customers that begin taking commodity service from an electric service provider on or after January 1, 2007, would be required to pay certain costs consistent with those costs that customers of a community choice aggregator are required to pay under existing law. The bill would require the commission to establish rules or tariffs that provide an option for residential customers to receive commodity service through direct transactions from renewable resources beginning January 1, 2007, consistent with cost recovery requirements applicable to community aggregators. Because a violation of a rule or order of the commission is a crime, this bill would create a new crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 650

Cogdill

Electrical restructuring: aggregation.

Existing law provides that customers are entitled to aggregate their electric loads as members of their local community with community choice aggregators and that community choice aggregators may aggregate the electrical load of interested consumers to reduce transaction costs to consumers, provide consumer protection, and to leverage the negotiation of contracts. Existing law authorizes a city, county, or city and county to propose a community choice aggregation program. Existing law provides for procedures for individual customers to opt out of a community choice aggregation program. This bill would authorize certain irrigation districts and municipal utility districts to act as community choice aggregators. The bill would provide procedures for a city, county, or city and county to opt out of a community choice aggregation program proposed by an irrigation district or a municipal utility district.

AB 728

McLeod, Negrete

Electricity: biogas digester customer-generators: net metering.

Under existing law, electric service providers, as defined, are required to provide eligible customer-generators with net energy metering, as defined. Under existing law, electrical corporations are required, only until January 1, 2006, to provide eligible biogas digester customer-generators with net energy metering, as defined, under a pilot program. Existing law defines an "eligible biogas digester customer-generator," in part, as a customer of an electrical corporation that uses a biogas digester electrical generating facility, as defined, with a capacity of not more than one megawatt, that is located on or adjacent to the customer's premises, is interconnected and operates in parallel with the electric grid, and is sized to offset part or all of the customer's own electrical requirements and that receives certain funding. This bill would extend indefinitely the operation of the biogas customer-generator program, as well as references to the program being a pilot program. The bill would modify the definition of an "eligible biogas digester customer-generator," to authorize a biogas digester electrical generating facility with a capacity of not more than 10 megawatts. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 746

Blakeslee

Public utilities: billings.

Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to supervise and regulate every public utility in the state. Existing law authorizes the commission to establish rules for all public utilities, subject to control by the Legislature. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to establish policies to eliminate obstacles that prevent public utilities from offering convenient bill payment methods to customers.

AB 965

Saldana

Solar energy systems.

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to expand and accelerate development of alternative sources of energy including solar resources. This bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation promoting the use of solar energy systems, as defined, in residences, state buildings, public works, and rural areas.

AB 1009

Richman

Electricity: time-of-use pricing tariffs: real time metering.

Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law requires electrical corporations furnishing electricity to an agricultural producer to prepare and file tariffs providing for optional off-peak demand service, including the availability of time-differentiating meters or other measurement devices. This bill would require the commission, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the Independent System Operator, to develop time-of-use electricity pricing tariffs, and to require real-time metering, for all bundled-service customers of an electrical corporation and to phase in implementation of these requirements consistent with a specified schedule. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 1190

Canciamilla

Energy: agency consolidation.

The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) and requires it to certify sufficient sites and related facilities that are required to provide a supply of electricity sufficient to accommodate projected demand for power statewide. Under that act, the Energy Commission also administers existing law with respect to energy conservation and renewable electricity generation sources. This bill would enact the Energy Code and would establish the Energy Agency under the administration of the Secretary of Energy, who would be appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate. The agency would be responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of all major aspects of the state energy policy to ensure an adequate, reasonably priced supply of electricity and natural gas. The secretary, in consultation with the Independent System Operator (ISO), would be required to determine appropriate reserve levels needed to maintain the reliability and stability of the electrical transmission and distribution grid and the Public Utilities Commission would be required to ensure that electrical corporations meet the reserve levels determined to be appropriate by the secretary. The bill would require the Secretary of Energy to establish goals for energy conservation and resource efficiency that will achieve or exceed the conservation and efficiency goals in the Energy Action Plan jointly adopted by the Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority, the Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and the Public Utilities Commission and to be responsible for coordination of energy conservation and resource efficiency programs and to consolidate those programs, where desirable. The bill would require the Secretary of Energy, within 90 days following confirmation, to report to the Legislature regarding liquefied natural gas, natural gas conservation measures, and other options to improve the supply and distribution of a reliable natural gas supply in California. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 1348

Runner, Sharon

Electricity: voluntary time-of-use tariff rates.

Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law requires electrical corporations furnishing electricity to an agricultural producer to prepare and file tariffs providing for optional off-peak demand service, including the availability of time-differentiating meters or other measurement devices. This bill would require the commission to require every electrical corporation to file tariffs by March 1, 2006, that provide a voluntary unbundled time-of-use tariff rate, as defined, for eligible customers, as defined. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 1362

Levine

Renewable energy: California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program: renewable energy credits.

Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature, in establishing the Renewable Energy Resources Program, to increase the amount of renewable electricity generated per year, so that it equals at least 17% of the total electricity generated for consumption in California per year by 2006. This bill would revise and recast that intent language so that the amount of electricity generated per year from renewable energy resources is increased to an amount that equals at least 20% of the total electricity generated for consumption in California by 2010. The bill would make conforming changes consistent with this goal. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 1547

Levine

Energy: renewable energy: solar generation of electricity

The existing Public Utilities Act requires the Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to require Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison to identify a separate electrical rate component to fund programs that enhance system reliability and provide in-state benefits. This rate component is a nonbypassable element of local distribution and collected on the basis of usage. The funds are collected to support cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, public interest research and development not adequately provided by competitive and regulated markets, and renewable energy resources. Existing commission resolutions refer to the nonbypassable rate component as a "Public Goods Charge" (PGC). Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to transfer funds collected by electrical corporations for in-state operation and development of existing and new and emerging renewable resources technologies into the Renewable Resource Trust Fund, to fund specified programs. Existing law requires that 17.5% of the money collected under the renewable energy PGC be used to fund the Emerging Renewable Resources Account within the Renewable Resource Trust Fund for the purpose of a multiyear, consumer-based program to foster the development of emerging renewable technologies in distributed generation applications. This bill would enact the Solar Energy Peak Procurement Act. The bill would except moneys expended through the Emerging Renewable Resources Account from the requirement that the Energy Commission prepare an investment plan on or before March 31, 2006, and would authorize the commission to advance moneys to the Emerging Renewable Resources Account and to expend those moneys without further legislative action, subject to certain existing repayment provisions, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would require the Energy Commission to ensure proportional program support through the Emerging Renewable Resources Account, for affordable housing units, within certain limits. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 1585

Blakeslee

Renewable energy resources: California Renewables Portfolio Standard

Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature, in establishing the Renewable Energy Resources Program, to increase the amount of renewable electricity generated per year, so that it equals at least 17% of the total electricity generated for consumption in California per year by 2006. This bill would declare the additional intent of the Legislature to increase the amount of electricity generated per year from renewable sources, so that it equals 20% of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by the year 2010. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 1704

Richman

Electricity: electrical restructuring: core, noncore, and core-elect electrical market structure.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. The existing Public Utilities Act requires the commission pursuant to electrical restructuring, to authorize and facilitate direct transactions between electricity suppliers and retail end-use customers. However, existing law also suspends the right of retail end-use customers, other than community choice aggregators, as defined, to acquire service from certain electricity suppliers after a period of time to be determined by the commission, until the Department of Water Resources no longer supplies electricity under that law. This bill would require the commission to adopt rules meeting specified requirements, to transition to a core/noncore electrical market structure. Under the core/noncore market structure, an electrical corporation would have a duty to provide core customers and core-elect customers, as defined, with electricity, transmission service, distribution service, and auxiliary services, including metering, billing, and public service notifications (bundled service), and would have a duty to provide noncore customers, aggregated noncore customers, grandfathered direct access customers, and green-choice customers, as defined, with transmission service and distribution service on a nondiscriminatory basis. Every noncore, aggregated noncore, grandfathered direct access, and green-choice customer that enters into a direct transaction would be responsible for procuring electricity sufficient to meet its needs and a standardized reserve margin established by the commission in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) and the Independent System Operator (ISO). This bill would delete the requirement that direct transactions be suspended until the Department of Water Resources no longer supplies electricity through power purchase contracts, and would instead authorize noncore, aggregated noncore, and green-choice customers to enter into direct transactions pursuant to the core/noncore electrical market structure. The bill would make other conforming changes. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

SB 107

Simitian

Renewable energy

Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature, in establishing the Renewable Energy Resources Program, to increase the amount of renewable electricity generated per year, so that it equals at least 17% of the total electricity generated for consumption in California per year by 2006. This bill would revise and recast that intent language so that the amount of electricity generated per year from renewable energy resources is increased to an amount that equals at least 20% of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2010. The bill would make conforming changes related to this provision. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

SB 441

Soto

Electricity: rates

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law requires electrical corporations furnishing electricity to an agricultural producer to prepare and file tariffs providing for optional off-peak demand service, including the availability of time-differentiating meters or other measurement devices. This bill would, with certain exceptions, provide that no residential or small commercial customer of an electrical corporation with average usage of less than 1,000 kilowatthours per month and occupying a building that was constructed prior to January 1, 2005, may be required to take service under a time-differentiated rate schedule. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

SB 632

Dutton

Electrical corporations: rates

The Public Utilities Act authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to establish rates for public utilities regulated by the commission, including electrical corporations. The act authorizes the commission to approve contracts between an electrical corporation and its heavy industrial customers as determined by the electrical corporation, of not more than 10 years' duration, in which the electrical corporation buys from the heavy industrial customer the right to interrupt the customer's service on short notice, as determined by the commission, through a payment mechanism providing for a discounted rate for service. Under those provisions, the commission has adopted, by decision, electrical corporation programs for the interruption of power in exchange for reduced rates. This bill would require the commission to continue the availability of optional interruptible or curtailable service at least through December 31, 2009, and would prohibit, until after that date, the reduction of the level of the pricing incentive for interruptible or curtailable service below the levels in effect on December 31, 2004. Because a violation of an order or decision of the commission is a crime, this bill, by requiring the commission to impose new requirements on electrical corporations, would create a new crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

SB 641

Campbell

Electricity: electrical restructuring

The existing Public Utilities Act requires the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to electrical restructuring, to authorize and facilitate direct transactions between electricity suppliers and retail end-use customers. However, existing law also suspends the right of retail end-use customers, other than community choice aggregators, as defined, to acquire service from certain electricity suppliers for a period of time to be determined by the commission, until the Department of Water Resources no longer supplies electricity under that law. This bill would delete the suspension of direct transactions and would require that the commission, on or before January 1, 2007, reestablish the right of end-use customers to enter into direct transactions. The bill would provide that, notwithstanding other laws, the right of end-use customers to enter into direct transactions is to be pursuant to a core/noncore structure, to be defined by the commission. In implementing the core/noncore structure, the commission would be required to ensure that end-use customers that enter into direct transactions bear a fair share of the department's costs to purchase electricity or to accept a proportionate allocation of the electrical generation resources used by an electrical corporation to serve departing customers. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

SB 1017

Campbell

Solar energy: taxation

The Personal Income Tax Law and the Bank and Corporation Tax Law authorize various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws. Existing law allows a credit against those taxes for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2004, and before January 1, 2006, for certain amounts relating to the use of solar or wind energy systems, as defined. This bill would make that credit applicable for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2004, and before January 1, 2017. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

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