Energy and Utilities

Energy and Utilities Legislation

Energy and Utilities Legislation

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SB 7 (Wiggins-D) Renewable energy sources: net metering
Allows net-metered customers who use wind and solar to produce more electricity than they consume in a given year to carry the credits for the excess production forward and apply those credits against excess consumption for up to two years.
(On Assembly Inactive File)

SB 14 (Simitian-D) Renewable energy resources: utilities
Increases the California Renewables Portfolio Standard to require all retail sellers of electricity and all publicly-owned utilities to procure at least 33% of electricity delivered to their retail customers from renewable resources by 2020, as specified. Contingent on the passage and enactment of AB 64 (Krekorian-D) which makes changes to the programmatic parts of the Renewables Portfolio Standard law.
Vetoed

SB 17 (Padilla-D) Electricity: smart grid systems
Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), by 7/1/10, and in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the Independent System Operator, and other key stakeholders, to determine the requirements for a smart grid deployment plan consistent with the policies set forth in the bill and federal law. Requires that the smart grid improve overall efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of electrical system operations, planning, and maintenance. Requires each electrical corporation, by 7/1/11, to develop and submit a smart grid deployment plan to the PUC for approval. Authorizes a smart grid deployment plan that is adopted to provide for deployment of smart grid products, technologies, and services by entities other than electrical corporations. Authorizes smart grid technologies to be deployed in an incremental manner to maximize the benefit to ratepayers and to achieve the benefits of smart grid technology, authorizes the PUC to modify or adjust the bill's requirements for an electrical corporation with fewer than 100,000 service connections as individual circumstances merit, and requires the commission, in consultation with the Energy Commission, the Independent System Operator, and electrical corporations, at each step of deployment, to evaluate the impact of deployment on major initiatives and policies. Requires the PUC to report, by 1/1/11, and by January 1 of each year thereafter, to the Governor and the Legislature on the commission's recommendations for a smart grid, the plans and deployment of smart grid technologies by the state's electrical corporations, and the costs and benefits to ratepayers. Requires a local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, to develop by 7/1/11, a smart grid deployment plan consistent with the policies set forth in federal law.
Chapter 327, Statutes of 2009

SB 32 (Negrete McLeod-D) Renewable electric generation facilities
Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to increase the 1.5 megawatts feed-in tariff to three megawatts and delete the requirement that the generation facility be located on property owned or under the control of the generator. The PUC is authorized to adjust payments to reflect the value of the electricity and other factors. Makes other related changes.
Chapter 328, Statutes of 2009

SB 62 (Simitian-D) Renewable energy resources
Makes a change in SB 14 (Simitian-D) relating to renewable energy resources in order to correct a date problem in the provision concerning the percentages of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources a local publicly-owned electric utility must procure. Requires the utility to procure 20% by 2013, instead of 2012. Becomes operative only if AB 64 (Krekorian-D) and SB 14 (Simitian-D) are chaptered.
Vetoed
A similar bill is AB 21 (Krekorian-D) which was vetoed.

SB 82 (Hancock-D) Energy conservation: schools
Requires the State Controller to establish a Solar School Subaccount in the State Energy Conservation Assistance Account to be used by the California Energy Commission for loans to schools for energy efficiency projects and for the installation of solar energy systems.
(On Assembly Third Reading File)
A similar bill is SB 363 (Hancock-D) which is in Assembly Appropriations Committee.

SB 113 (Senate Local Government Committee) Local Government Omnibus Act of 2009
Enacts the Local Government Omnibus Act of 2009, which among other provisions, allows municipal utility districts to publish summaries of their annual financial reports instead of publishing the full reports.
Chapter 332, Statutes of 2009

SB 120 (Lowenthal-D) Utility service: residential
Revises existing public utility termination notice provisions, which currently apply only to the multi-unit residential tenancies, to any residential structure, including a single-family dwelling.
Chapter 560, Statutes of 2009

SB 176 (Simitian-D) Electricity: charges: charitable organizations
Extends the sunset date from 2010 to 2015 on a program that allows an electric service provider to donate free electric service to a nonprofit charitable organization.
Chapter 36, Statutes of 2009

SB 338 (Alquist-D) Alternative energy
Broadens the definition of "project" under the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, to apply to the property and activities that are utilized for the design, technology transfer, manufacture, production, assembly, distribution or service of renewable energy technologies, renewable energy projects, and renewable energy manufacturing service of renewable energy technologies, renewable energy projects, and renewable energy manufacturing.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 366 (Aanestad-R) Biomass energy
Changes the definition of eligible customer-generators to include residential, small commercial, commercial, industrial, or agricultural customers of an electric service provider that use biomass electricity generating facilities.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 376 (Simitian-D) Energy: natural gas
Requires that projects to construct or operate a liquefied natural gas terminal submit additional information pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. Requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to conduct a needs assessment for liquefied natural gas as part of its Integrated Energy Policy Report and requires the CEC to revise that assessment when new terminal facilities are being reviewed for permits. Requires the CEC to publicize certain information regarding existing and proposed liquefied natural gas terminals.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 409 (Ducheny-D) Department of Railroads
Creates a Department of Railroads in the Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency. Transfers, from the Public Utilities Commission, responsibilities it has relative to railroads to the new department.
(On Senate Third Reading File)

SB 412 (Kehoe-D) Electricity: self-generation incentive program
Extends the sunset date of the self-generation incentive program through 1/1/16, restricts the amount the Public Utilities Commission can direct the utilities to collect, and expands the eligible resources to include all self-generation technologies that the Commission determines will support the state's goals for the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases, that meet specified efficiency standards.
Chapter 182, Statutes of 2009

SB 437 (Pavley-D) Unlisted telephone numbers
Prohibits all telephone corporations, including cell phone companies, from charging customers for having an unlisted telephone number.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 460 (Wolk-D) Energy: transmission lines
Defines "electronic transmission line" to include a high-voltage transmission line proposed to be built by a local publicly-owned electric utility. Requires a local publicly-owned electric utility proposing to construct an electric transmission line to certify to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission that it has undertaken a specified action.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

SB 463* (Strickland-R) Renewable energy resource projects: tax credit
Enacts a tax credit for costs paid to install renewable energy resource projects.
(In Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee)

SB 488 (Pavley-D) Energy usage information
Requires publicly-owned utilities and investor-owned utilities that provide individual residential electricity or gas customers with information comparing their energy use with similar residences to report to the state on the energy savings resulting from such programs.
Chapter 352, Statutes of 2009

SB 523 (Pavley-D) Solar Feed-in Tariff Pilot Program
Creates the Solar Feed-in Tariff Pilot Program. Requires Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas and Electric Company to enter into agreements to purchase all of the electricity generated by the owner or operator of a solar energy generation facility located within the territory served by that electrical corporation at specified prices using a contract developed by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), as provided. This program will be limited to the City of Santa Monica and other pilot cities to be selected by the PUC.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 534* (Strickland-R) Wind and geothermal energy
Excludes the value of a small wind turbine or geothermal heat pump system from the definition of "new construction" for purposes of property tax assessment. Becomes operative only if SCA 13 (Strickland-R) is approved by the voters.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 542 (Wiggins-D) Solar energy and energy efficiency programs
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to develop and implement a strategy to expand the participation of multi-tenant buildings in utility energy efficiency and solar energy programs.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 551 (Strickland-R) Energy: transmission lines
Expands "electric transmission line" to include an electric powerline that carries electricity from any powerplant located in the state to a point of junction with an interconnected transmission system, an electric powerline that is rated at 200 kilovolts or above, and an electric powerline that is rated between 50 kilovolts and 200 kilovolts that is needed to support the stability and reliability of the interconnected transmission line, thereby giving the California Energy Commission the exclusive power to certify these electric powerlines.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 571 (Maldonado-R) Geothermal resources
Authorizes the State Oil and Gas Supervisor to deny proposed geothermal well operations until an operator complies with an order, pays a civil penalty, or remedies a violation.
Chapter 597, Statutes of 2009

SB 581 (Leno-D) Hetch Hetchy Water and Power
Allows the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to designate all renewable electric generation facilities to be eligible for a unique arrangement where Pacific Gas and Electric Company is required to take electricity from the generator and offset the City of San Francisco's municipal load.
Chapter 598, Statutes of 2009

SB 605 (Ashburn-R) Biogas pipelines
Expands an existing California Environmental Quality Act exemption applicable to liquid pipelines to include pipelines used to transport dairy biogas in Fresno, Kern, Kings, and Tulare Counties.
Chapter 599, Statutes of 2009

SB 626 (Kehoe-D) Electrical infrastructure: vehicles
Requires the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with specified parties, to evaluate policies to provide fueling infrastructure for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.
Chapter 355, Statutes of 2009

SB 672 (Cox-R) South Lake Tahoe Public Utilities District: water meters
Extends the deadline for the South Lake Tahoe Public Utilities District to install water meters on all municipal and industrial sewer connections.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee)

SB 673 (Cox-R) Public utility districts
Allows the board of directors of a public utility district to adopt an ordinance that provides that a director at large may be elected by receiving the greatest number of votes districtwide.
Chapter 14, Statutes of 2009

SB 675 (Steinberg-D) Energy job training
Enacts the Clean Technology and Renewable Energy Job Training, Career Technical Education, and Dropout Prevention Act of 2010, for the purpose of providing funds to qualifying entities for construction or reconfiguring facilities that prepare program participants (pupils) for employment related to clean technology, renewable energy or energy efficiency. Funds would be provided in the form of grants for $3 million for qualifying new education-related construction projects and $1.5 million for qualifying education-related modernization projects.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 695* (Kehoe-D) Electricity rates
Makes several changes to the state's regulation of electricity, including allowing for increases in some residential electricity rates, increasing the ability of retail customers to purchase electricity directly from generators, prohibiting mandatory time-variant pricing, and making changes to existing energy efficiency programs.
Chapter 337, Statutes of 2009

SB 712 (Padilla-D) "211" telephone number system
Requires an information and referral service provider to operate a "211" system in a manner that is consistent with the applicable orders of the Federal Communications Commission and the Public Utilities Commission.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 721 (Steinberg-D) Energy: greenhouse gas emissions
Establishes in statute the Climate Action Team, with specified membership. Requires the Climate Action Team to coordinate state policy with respect to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 730 (Wiggins-D) Sonoma County Energy Efficiency Pilot Project Act of 2010
Establishes the Sonoma Energy Efficiency Pilot Project Act of 2010 and requires the Public Utilities Commission, in cooperation with the Sonoma County Water Agency, to institute a rulemaking proceeding for the creation of a pilot project to grant rebates for the installation of energy efficient heating and cooling systems, as defined, in Sonoma County. Requires the rebates and incentives be made from funds collected from a surcharge imposed by the Commission on gas and electric ratepayers in Sonoma County.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

SB 805 (Wright-D) Renewable energy resources: procurement
Revises the California Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program by (1) requiring investor-owned utilities to increase total procurement of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1% of retail sales annually so that 33% of its retail sales are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than 12/31/20, (2) requiring that, beginning 1/1/12, the cost limitation established by the Public Utilities Commission be 3% of the previous year's annual revenue requirement for all direct and indirect RPS costs, and (3) requiring the Commission to adopt flexible rules for compliance with the existing and proposed RPS procurement thresholds.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 806 (Wiggins-D) Electrical corporation energy efficiency programs
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to limit investor-owned utility administrative costs for energy efficiency programs to 5% of total costs. Requires the Commission to ensure that incentive payments made to the utilities meet specified criteria.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 814 (Ashburn-R) Public utilities: eminent domain
Provides that specified notice requirements do not apply a condemnation eminent domain action brought by a public utility consistent with existing law.
(In Senate Judiciary Committee)

SB 2XXX* (Ducheny-D) Public Utilities Commission: budget provisions
Provides a $40 million loan from the Public Utilities Commission High Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund to be repaid by 6/30/11, a $15 million loan from the Universal Lifeline Telephone Services Trust Administrative Committee Fund to be repaid by 6/30/11, and decreases a loan from the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative Committee Fund from $85 million to $55 million to be repaid by 6/30/11.
Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009-10, Third Extraordinary Session

SCR 60 (Negrete McLeod-D) Water utility and chemical facilities
Urges the state, county, and local governments, the owners and operators of water utility facilities, and the chemical companies that supply these utilities to mitigate the potential harm involved in the release of hazardous substances by substituting Inherently Safer Technology.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

AB 3 (V. Manuel Perez-D) Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative
Requires the California Workforce Investment Board, in consultation with the Green Collar Jobs Council, to establish a Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative requiring the Board to provide guidance to local workforce investment boards on how to establish comprehensive green collar job assessment, training, and placement programs that reflect the local and regional economies.
Vetoed

AB 21 (Krekorian-D) Renewable energy resources
Makes a change in SB 14 (Simitian-D) relating to renewable energy resources in order to correct a date problem in the provision concerning the percentages of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources a local publicly-owned electric utility must procure. Requires the utility to procure 20% by 2013, instead of 2012. Becomes operative only if AB 64 (Krekorian-D) and SB 14 (Simitian-D) are chaptered.
Vetoed
A similar bill is SB 62 (Simitian-D), which was vetoed.

AB 40 (Smyth-R) Electrical generation facilities
Declares that the use of potable domestic water for cooling towers that are part of a generating system that is an eligible renewable energy resource is a reasonable use of water if certain requirements are met.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 42 (Blakeslee-R) Electricity: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Requires Pacific Gas and Electric Company to conduct seismic fault studies or surveys in areas at or near the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in order to maintain reliable customer rates that could result from a seismic event.
Vetoed

AB 44 (Blakeslee-R) Energy storage facilities
Creates incentives for investor-owned utilities and non-utility companies to build energy storage devices that store energy produced from renewable facilities.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 45 (Blakeslee-R) Small wind energy systems
Reenacts a lapsed authorization for local governments to provide, by ordinance, for the installation of small wind energy systems, as defined, and requires local governments that have not provided such authorization by a specified date to approve applications for small wind energy systems by right if certain conditions are met by the applicants.
Chapter 404, Statutes of 2009

AB 46 (Blakeslee-R) Energy
Extends the operation of the State Energy Conservation Assistance Account, scheduled to sunset in 2011, to 1/1/12. Extends the operation of the Local Jurisdiction Energy Assistance Account, currently required to sunset in 2011, to 1/1/12, and reinstates the California Energy Commission's participation in SAFE-BIDCO (State Assistance Fund for Enterprise, Business, and Industrial Development Corporation).
(On Senate Inactive File)

AB 51 (Blakeslee-R) Electrical corporation energy efficiency programs
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to limit to 10% the administrative costs of energy efficiency programs funded and operated by the investor-owned utilities. For this purpose, administrative costs include personnel and overhead, but not marketing, outreach, and program evaluation.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 64 (Krekorian-D) Renewable energy resources: generation and transmission
Implements generation and transmission siting reforms and procurement reforms to help speed the deployment of renewable resources in California necessary to meet a new goal of having 33% of California's electricity load served by renewable resources. Contingent on the enactment of SB 14 (Simitian-D).
Vetoed

AB 142* (Hayashi-D) School facilities: Energy Cost Savings Stimulus Program
Establishes the Energy Cost Savings Stimulus Program, to be administered by the State Allocation Board, and makes $320 million out of the $3.3 billion in the Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2006 allocated for purposes of modernization available to fund the Program.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

AB 150* (Smyth-R) Energy efficiency products
Provides a sales and use tax exemption for "energy efficient products" sold or purchased during a "qualified period" each year beginning in 2010.
(In Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 162 (Ruskin-D) Electrical generation: disclosure of sources
Modifies and streamlines reporting requirements for publicly-owned utilities and other electricity providers. Specifically, (1) requires every retail seller of electricity in California to disclose it electricity sources to end-use customers annually instead of quarterly and modifies the information included in this report, and (2) stipulates that compliance by a publicly-owned utility with the reporting requirement in #1 above constitutes compliance with reporting requirements to the California Energy Commission for the renewable portfolio standard.
Chapter 313, Statutes of 2009

AB 212 (Saldana-D) Energy: building standards: zero net energy buildings
Requires the California Energy Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, the utilities, and interested parties, to adopt standards requiring new residential construction to utilize "zero net energy," effective the latter of 1/1/20, or the date on which the Commission determines that the use of photovoltaic technology is cost effective.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 222 (Adams-R) Energy: biofuels
Allows facilities that convert solid waste into energy or chemicals to count as a renewable electricity generation facility for the purpose of the California Renewable Portfolio Standard. Allows local governments to county solid waste that is converted into electricity or chemicals toward their recycling diversion goals.
(In Senate Environmental Quality Committee)

AB 228 (Huffman-D) Energy: outdoor lighting efficiency
Requires the California Energy Commission to adopt, by 12/31/11, energy efficiency standards for outdoor lighting of at least 80 lumens per watt, which shall be effective no later than 1/1/15.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 234 (Huffman-D) Energy: water use and energy efficiency projects
Authorizes the California Energy Commission to make grants and enter into contracts to award federal energy efficiency and conservation funds.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 262 (Bass-D) Energy activity funding
Provides direction and authorization to the California Energy Commission regarding the use of money received pursuant to the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for energy-related activities. Appropriates $113,093,000.
Chapter 227, Statutes of 2009

AB 380 (De La Torre-D) California Clean Energy Curriculum and Training Initiative
Enacts the California Clean Energy Curriculum and Training Initiative by having the Labor Agency establish standardized courses of study covering components necessary to effectively and safely install, inspect, or repair clean energy systems, and to train others to do so. Directs the Division of Apprenticeship Standards to convene the Electrical Industry Training Committee to develop a model solar curriculum.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 413 (Fuentes-D) Energy rates
Makes several changes to the state's regulation of electricity, allowing for increases in some residential electricity rates, increasing the ability of retail customers to purchase electricity directly from generators, prohibiting mandatory time-variant pricing, and making changes to existing energy efficiency programs.
(On Senate Inactive File)

AB 419 (Caballero-D) Joint powers agreements: water utilities
Authorizes a water utility that is regulated by the Public Utility Commission to enter into a joint powers agreement with one or more public agencies and other water suppliers, if the purpose of the joint powers agreement pertains to regional or local water management.
(In Assembly Local Government Committee)

AB 424 (Torres-D) Mobile radio service: 911 services: disclosures
Imposes additional disclosure and education requirements regarding the enhanced 911 capability of commercial mobile radio services and handsets, as specified.
(In Assembly Business and Professions Committee)

AB 432 (Nestande-R) Renewable energy resources: solar feed-in tariff
Establishes a solar fee-in tariff, as defined, pilot program that is applicable to the City of Palm Desert, which is within the service territory of Southern California Edison Company.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 435 (De La Torre-D) Public utilities: transmission facilities
Requires, until 1/1/12, an electrical corporation or a local publicly-owned electric utility that owns electrical transmission facilities to investigate and evaluate the cost and feasibility of using high-technology conductors and other advanced transmission technology in new and upgraded transmission projects. Requires an electrical corporation to additionally evaluate the cost and feasibility of retrofitting existing transmission facilities with high-technology conductors and other advanced transmission technology, whether using high-technology conductors or other advanced transmission technology will expedite the delivery of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources, and enable the utility to increase transmission capacity without building new transmission towers.
(On Senate Inactive File)

AB 437 (Yamada-D) Mobile telephony service
Prohibits a mobile telephony service provider from directing a customer to a sales representative for the provider when the customer attempts to use the service to complete a telephone call to a person or business other than the provider.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 521 (De La Torre-D) Utility property: public parks
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to consider additional benefits when evaluating lease proposals in order to encourage the use of utility property for public parks.
Chapter 448, Statutes of 2009

AB 531 (Saldana-D) Energy consumption data: disclosure
Requires that an owner or operator of a nonresidential building disclose the United States Environmental Protection Agency's benchmarking data and ratings for the most recent 12-month period to a prospective buyer, lessee of the entire building, or lender that finances the entire building based on a compliance schedule to be established by the California Energy Commission rather than after 1/1/10, as required by existing law.
Chapter 323, Statutes of 2009

AB 546* (Knight-R) Solar photovoltaic panels: sales tax
Provides a state sales and use tax exemption for tangible personal property purchased for use primarily in any stage of the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic panels.
(In Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 560 (Skinner-D) Net energy metering
Increases, from 2.5% to 5%, the percentage of an electric utility's peak load that may be provided by customers operating solar or wind systems under a net energy meeting tariff.
(In Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee)

AB 617 (Blumenfield-D) Reduction of energy use
Requires the Office of the Chief Information Officer to establish and enforce a state information technology strategic plan to protect the environment and reduce energy use.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 636 (Jones-D) Charter buses
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to permanently revoke the authority of a charter-party carrier if the carrier knowingly employs a non-licensed or inappropriately licensed driver, suspend the license for five years of a person who drives a bus for a charter-party carrier who lacks the proper license of the proper class, requires a California Highway Patrol officer to impound the bus if driven by a non-licensed driver, and imposes other new restrictions and requirements on charter-party carriers.
Chapter 248, Statutes of 2009

AB 698 (Skinner-D) Utility property: divestitures
Authorizes a staff director of the Public Utilities Commission to approve the disposal of a utility's property when the transaction is valued under $5 million and the utility's application is not contested by any party.
Chapter 370, Statutes of 2009

AB 709 (Lieu-D) Charter-party carriers: airports
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to adopt and enforce rules requiring drivers for charter-party carriers serving airports to undergo criminal background checks.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 758 (Skinner-D) Energy audit
Requires the California Energy Commission to develop and implement a comprehensive program to achieve greater energy savings in existing residential and nonresidential building stock, including energy assessments, cost-effective energy efficiency improvements, financing options, public outreach, and education efforts.
Chapter 470, Statutes of 2009

AB 771 (Torres-D) Public utilities: residential utility services
Prohibits utility corporations from seeking to recover charges or penalties, in connection with furnishing services to a tenant of the owner of the residential property to which services were provided, from any subsequent tenant or the property owner. Prohibits those corporations from demanding or receiving a security deposit in an amount that is more than two times the estimated average periodic bill or three times the estimated average monthly bill for the provision of services and prohibits those corporations from imposing a reconnection charge for terminated service if the customer provides that security deposit.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 828 (Lieu-D) Energy: green building standards
Requires the Building Standards Commission to seek and respond to input from specified state agencies when developing green building standards and explicitly authorizes the California Energy Commission to adopt voluntary green building standards.
Vetoed

AB 863 (Niello-R) Municipal utilities: civil service exemptions
Increases the maximum percentage of exempt employees the board of a utility district meeting specific criteria may appoint, from 2% to 5% of the total civil service positions of the district.
Chapter 127, Statutes of 2009

AB 901 (Davis-D) Public utilities: corporate responsibilities
Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to compile and make publicly available a comprehensive list of corporate responsibility principals to be followed by all public utilities whose rates and charges are regulated under rate-of-return regulation by the PUC. Requires that a public utility whose rates and charges are regulated under rate-of-return regulation by the PUC, with annual gross revenue of $50 million or more, report by April 1 of each year to the Legislature and the PUC and make publicly available on a company Internet Web site certain information relative to employee and executive compensation.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 904 (V. Manuel Perez-D) Electricity: local governments
Specifies that a business engaged in the manufacturing of parts or components related to the production of electricity using solar, wind, biomass, hydropower, or geothermal resources on or after 7/1/10, is eligible under the California Investment Incentive Program.
Chapter 486, Statutes of 2009

AB 915 (Logue-R) Renewable energy resources
Provides that when a retail seller is calculating the amount of eligible renewable electricity it must procure to meet its 20% of retail sales renewable portfolio standard obligation, the retail seller may subtract the portion of retail sales that are met by hydroelectric facilities that are larger than 30 megawatts from its total retail sales.
(Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 920 (Huffman-D) Solar and wind energy
Expands the current net-metering programs for wind and solar, to allow the net-metered customers to sell any excess electricity they produce over the course of a year to their electric utility.
Chapter 376, Statutes of 2009

AB 922* (Miller-R) Biomass-based diesel fuel: tax
Exempts temporarily biomass-based diesel fuel produced in this state with "California feedstock" from the tax imposed under the Diesel Fuel Tax Law.
(In Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 951 (Lieu-D) Charter-party carriers
Increases the range of various fines the Public Utilities Commission can impose on charter-party carriers who knowingly violate state laws and Commission regulations.
Chapter 263, Statutes of 2009

AB 975 (Fong-D) Water meter installation
Requires water corporations regulated by the Public Utilities Commission to install water meters on new service connections and on unmetered connections.
Chapter 495, Statutes of 2009

AB 1012* (V. Manuel Perez-D) Broadband communications
Requires the Public Utilities Commission, as the designated recipient for a grant under the federal State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program of the Broadband Data Improvement Act, to administer and expend funding received under that program in a manner consistent with federal and state law.
(On Senate Inactive File)

AB 1023 (Ruskin-D) Renewable energy resources
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to develop a feed-in tariff program for eligible renewable electric generation that is less than 10 megawatts in size.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 1028* (Blumenfield-D) Renewable energy systems: sales and use tax exemption
Provides a sales tax exemption for qualified renewable energy systems (solar, wind, geothermal systems) for homes and small businesses during each April, from 2010 to 2020, subject to future implementation of a carbon-based tax in this state.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1030 (Blumenfield-D) Renewable energy projects: Department of Transportation
Authorizes the Institute of the Environment at the University of California, Los Angeles to map the renewable energy development potential of property owned or controlled by the Department of Transportation, upon receipt of funding for the project.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1031 (Blumenfield-D) Renewable energy resources
Expands a program that allows local governments to generate renewable energy from one facility and credit excess electricity exported to the grid against the generation charges of other local government facilities to also apply to college campuses.
Chapter 380, Statutes of 2009

AB 1035 (DeVore-R) Nuclear power plants
Exempts from the California Energy Commission power plant certification laws the first nuclear power plant to obtain an early site permit from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
(Failed passage in Assembly Natural Resources Committee; reconsideration granted)

AB 1105 (Blakeslee-R) Energy: building retrofit loans
Requires the California Energy Commission to implement the Building Energy Retrofit Revolving Loan Program to provide loans for energy conservation projects retrofitting nonresidential buildings built before 7/1/78.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 1106 (Fuentes-D) Renewable electric generation
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to adopt feed-in tariff rate structures and approve related standard offer contracts for eight specified renewable resources by 6/1/11. There would be 16 total tariffs and contracts - two for each specified renewable technology at tier one, for facilities sized up to five megawatts and tier two, for facilities sized five to 10 megawatts.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1108 (Fuentes-D) Electric and gas utility service: master-meter customers
Requires owners of master-meter electricity and natural gas systems that serve mobilehome parks and manufactured housing developments to transfer ownership and operation of those systems to the utilities. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to open a proceeding to develop procedures and schedules for the transfers.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1110 (Fuentes-D) Advanced electrical generation
Allows "advanced electrical distributed generation technologies" that have better efficiency ratings than cogeneration facilities to qualify for some of the same benefits given to cogeneration facilities.
Chapter 508, Statutes of 2009

AB 1111 (Blakeslee-R) Energy projects
Expands the types of projects for which the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority may authorize a sales tax exclusion to encompass sales lease-back arrangements involving facilities and equipment used to manufacture renewable energy components.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1159* (V. Manuel Perez-D) Renewable energy: enterprise zones
Authorizes a taxpayer engaged in a trade or business in enterprise zones to aggregate the value of sales and use tax credits attributable to the purchase, and placement in service, of machinery and machinery parts used for the production of renewable energy resources in all of the enterprise zones in which the taxpayer is engaged in a trade or business and apply the tax credit to tax liabilities attributable to activities within one or more enterprise zones, as provided.
(In Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 1173 (Huffman-D) Fluorescent lamps: recycling
Enacts the California Fluorescent Lamp Toxics Reduction and Recycling Act, which on and after 1/1/11, prohibits the sale or offering for sale in this state of luminaires and lighting fixtures that are intended for general lighting purposes and contain preheat ballasts for operation of preheat linear fluorescent lamps. Requires manufacturers and retailers of compact fluorescent light bulbs that receive funding from electricity ratepayers to develop and implement recycling programs for those light bulbs.
Vetoed

AB 1184* (Adams-R) Automatic dialing-announcing devices: governmental officials
Exempts from the prohibition on the use of automatic dialing-announcing devices, calls made by a state or local public official for a governmental purpose. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to determine what is not a governmental purpose.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1225 (De La Torre-D) Energy efficiency: federal funds
Designates the Green Action Team as being responsible for evaluating opportunities for the state to participate in, and benefit from, the energy-related programs of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and to coordinate the state's participation in any federal energy-related economic stimulus programs and the distribution of monies for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs to specified entities.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 1283 (Smyth-R) Public Utilities Commission: review of legislation
Require the Public Utilities Commission to advise the Legislature whenever it comes to the attention of the Commission that a bill that is pending before the Legislature would likely (1) reduce the reliability of the electrical transmission and distribution system in any area of the state, (2) result in a shortage of electricity needed to meet projected demand in any area of the state, (3) impair the ability of retail sellers or local publicly owned electric utilities to meet their renewables portfolio standard, or (4) impair the ability of any electrical corporation, local publicly owned electric utility, electric service provider, or community choice aggregator to meet its emission reduction goals pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1315 (Ruskin-D) Public Utilities Commission
Requires the commissioners of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to designate a president of the PUC from among the members of the PUC, instead of the Governor appointing a president. Also requires the commissioners to select and direct the PUC's attorney and executive director, instead of the president.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1316 (Ma-D) Public utilities: low-income customers
Expands the size and responsibilities of the Low-Income Oversight Board within the Public Utilities Commission.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1333 (Hagman-R) Electrical transmission lines
Prohibits an electrical corporation from reconstructing an electrical transmission line that runs through a residential community unless it undertakes several requirements, such as compensating residential landowners near the transmission line for any reduction in property values.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1348 (Blakeslee-R) Electrical corporations: procurement of electricity
Requires the investor-owned electrical utilities (electrical corporations) to submit fossil fuel procurement plans to the Public Utilities Commission.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1350 (Blakeslee-R) Energy: regional mitigation
Authorizes the California Energy Commission to communicate, coordinate, and work with other state agencies to consider and implement regional mitigation measures for renewable energy projects developed pursuant to the Renewable Portfolio Standard.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1351 (Blakeslee-R) Renewable energy resources
Amends current law that allows for incremental increases in electricity production from hydroelectric facilities to count toward a retail seller's Renewable Portfolio Standard obligation if the hydroelectric facilities are certified by the State Water Resources Control Board to allow out-of-state facilities to be certified by the appropriate board in that state.
Chapter 525, Statutes of 2009

AB 1371 (Smyth-R) Generating facilities
Declares that the use of potable domestic water for cooling towers that are part of a generating facility that is an eligible renewable energy resource is a reasonable use of water if certain conditions are met.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 1373 (Skinner-D) Global warming potential: refrigerants
Requires the California Energy Commission, on or before 12/1/11, to assess, in consultation with the Air Resources Board the potential to reduce the use and emissions of high-global warming potential compounds in stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning industry in California.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

AB 1480 (Tran-R) Telephone corporations
Provides that the definition of a telephone corporation does not include any service using voice communication technology primarily to allow individual users to navigate and retrieve information from the Internet, as defined.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1496 (Skinner-D) Contractors: energy efficiency measures
Establishes sanctions for contractors who fail to comply with energy efficiency standards.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1497 (Hall-D) Public utilities: intervenor fees
Provides that the cost of intervenor fees awarded for proceedings related to specific telephone corporations shall be paid from the Public Utilities Commission's intervenor compensation fund and not by the telephone corporation.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1528 (Ruskin-D) Telecommunications: lifeline service rates
Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission from authorizing a telephone corporation to increase rates or charges for local exchange services provided to lifeline telephone service subscribers above those in effect on 1/1/09, except that rates and charges for local exchange services provided to lifeline telephone service subscribers may be increased in an amount no greater than the maximum annual cost-of-living percentage increase established for the CalWORKS program.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1530 (Skinner-D) Energy efficiency: greenhouse gas emission reduction
Requires the Air Resources Board to adopt protocols for the evaluation, measurement, and verification of any greenhouse gas reduction measure that relies on energy efficiency, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, and energy efficiency experts.
(In Senate Environmental Quality Committee)

AB 1536 (Blakeslee-R) Distributed energy resources incentive program
Requires the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with the California Energy Commission, to administer the distributed energy resources incentive program for distributed generation until 1/1/12, for the purposes of deploying distributed generation technologies that the PUC determines produce benefits for ratepayers commensurate with their contribution to the costs of the program.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

AB 1550 (Assembly Banking And Finance Committee) Energy crisis of 2000-01
Provides the Department of Water Resources additional authority to refinance bonds relating to the energy crisis of 2000-01.
Chapter 154, Statutes of 2009

AB 1551* (Assembly Utilities And Commerce Committee) Energy: program eligibility and costs
Corrects language enacted in 2008 that inadvertently restricted the size of all projects financed by the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority instead of restricting the size of projects using power purchase agreements as intended. Changes a reporting date requirement by the Public Utilities Commission relating to costs of programs and activities conducted by electrical and gas corporations from February 1 to May 31 of each year and provides that a fuel cell electrical generating facility will not be eligible for participation in the net metering tariff established as law unless it starts before 1/1/14 rather than 1/1/10.
Chapter 336, Statutes of 2009

AB 1552 (Assembly Utilities And Commerce Committee) Electricity
Extends from 1/1/10 until 1/1/12, the authorization for a nonprofit charitable organization to acquire electric commodity service through a direct transaction with an electric service provider if electric commodity service is donated free of charge without compensation, and makes several technical changes provisions relating to government public utilities.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1553 (Fuentes-D) Telecommunications: universal service: deaf and disabled
Extends the sunset date on the law which subsidizes the cost of telephone services and equipment for deaf and disabled customers known as the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunication Program to 1/1/14.
Chapter 300, Statutes of 2009

AB 1555* (V. Manuel Perez-D) Telecommunications: California Advanced Services Fund
Makes, for the sole purpose of providing matching funds pursuant to the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, any entity eligible to apply to participate in a broadband program administered by the Public Utilities Commission if that entity otherwise satisfies the eligibility requirement under that program.
Chapter 24, Statutes of 2009

AB 33XXX (Villines-R) Energy Commission reform
Reforms the California Energy Commission, a state entity under the Resources Agency, into a cabinet-level Department of Energy, and adds energy-related responsibilities previously performed by the Electricity Oversight Board and the Department of Community Services and Development.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
A similar bill is AB 1016 (Villines-R) which is in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee.

AB 11XXXX* (Evans-D) Energy programs
Enacts the 2009-10 public resource trailer bill, which among other provisions, allows the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds within existing Energy Commission programs for energy efficiency and conservation projects, as well as green jobs. Allows the issuance of grants rather than only contracts as existing law states. Sets a cap on funds that can be used for administration. Establishes parameters for the State Property Energy Efficiency Revolving Fund, which will use American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for cost-effective energy efficiency projects in state-owned buildings.
Chapter 11, Statutes of 2009-10, Fourth Extraordinary Session

AB 12XXXX* (Evans-D) Budget trailer bill: general government
Enacts the 2009 general government budget trailer bill, which among other provisions, establishes that the amount available from the Nuclear Planning Assessment Special Account for state and local costs be adjusted each fiscal year by the percentage increase in the California Consumer Price Index of the previous fiscal year.
Chapter 12, Statutes of 2009-10, Fourth Extraordinary Session

HR 14 (Ruskin-D) Alternative fuel vehicles
Designates November 2009 as Alternative Fuel Vehicle Awareness Month.
Adopted by the Assembly

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