Energy and Utilities

Energy and Utilities Legislation

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SB 3* (Padilla-D)Telecommunications: universal service

Extends the sunset date for the California High Cost Fund A and California High Cost Fund B collections, and requires voice over Internet protocol service providers to collect and remit surcharges to state universal service programs.
Chapter 695, Statutes of 2011

SB 16* (Rubio-D)Renewable energy: Dept. of Fish & Game: expedited permitting

Requires the Department of Fish and Game to take steps to expedite the processing of renewable energy permits.
Chapter 311, Statutes of 2011

SB 23 (Simitian-D)Energy: renewable energy resources

Makes a number of technical and substantive changes to the recently signed SB 2X1 (Simitian-D), Chapter 1, Statutes of 2011, First Extraordinary Session, which increases California's renewable portfolio standard from 20% by 2010 to 33% by 2020.
(Held at Senate Desk)

SB 35* (Padilla-D)California Energy Research and Technology Act of 2011

Repeals the California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research Program and Renewable Energy Program, as well as the "public goods charge" collected from electric utility customers which funds these programs and utility energy efficiency programs (which expires on 1/1/12 under current law). Establishes the California Energy Research and Technology Program for the purpose of funding energy-related research, development, and demonstration, but provides no funding.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

SB 37 (Simitian-D)Energy: State Energy Resources Conservation and Development

Requires the California Energy Commission to conduct a needs assessment for liquefied natural gas terminals and to revise that assessment when new terminal facilities are proposed. Requires proposed liquefied natural gas terminal projects subject to the California Environmental Quality Act to include specified information in an environmental impact report.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 44 (Corbett-D)Public utilities: gas pipeline emergency response standards

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish compatible emergency response standards that owners or operators of intrastate transmission and distribution lines would be required to follow by 7/1/12, as specified.
Chapter 520, Statutes of 2011

SB 58 (Runner-R)Antelope Valley Fairgrounds EE and PV Synergy Demonstration

Extends the sunset date of the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds EE (energy efficient) and PV (photovoltaic) Synergy Demonstration Program until 1/1/18.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

SB 102 (Correa-D)Telecommunications: customer privacy

Requires a commercial seller of mobile telephony service communications devices (commonly known as "cell phones") that incorporate geotagging, as defined, capability to disclose this capability to a potential purchaser prior to completing a sale of the device. Prohibits the commercial seller from selling a mobile telephony service communications device to a purchaser with the geotagging capability activated or operational without first obtaining the purchaser's consent, in writing, acknowledging that the purchaser has been informed of the existence of the geotagging capability and consents to this capability being activated or operational.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 118 (Yee-D)Energy service contracts

Requires a public agency, prior to awarding or entering into an agreement or lease, to publish a request for information, qualification, or proposal pursuant to a public process determined by the public agency, and provides that the contract be awarded based on best value.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 134 (Corbett-D)Solar photovoltaic system: public contracts: bid preferences

Requires state agencies to provide a 5% price preference in state contracts for the purchase or installation of solar panels that are manufactured or assembled in the state.
(Failed passage in Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee)

SB 136 (Yee-D)Energy service: prevailing wages

Provides that specified "energy services contracts" entered into pursuant to existing law are public works projects and subject to applicable prevailing wage laws.
Chapter 698, Statutes of 2011

SB 142 (Rubio-D)Electrical rates

Eliminates the cost caps on California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) rate increases in effect through 2018 and eliminates the rate increase cap for non-CARE customers in the first two rate tiers. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to modify the current tiered residential electric rates no later than 6/1/12 and, through 2014, transition the current rate structure to one that reflects the actual cost of serving those customers.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 148 (Steinberg-D)Partnership academies

Requires the State Controller annually to allocate $8,000,000 from the Energy Resources Program Account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for expenditure in the form of grants to school districts to be allocated pursuant to the existing provisions for creating and maintaining partnership academies.
(In Senate Education Committee)

SB 175 (Corbett-D)Solar photovoltaic system: public contracts: bid preferences

Provides a 5% bid preference in state contracts for the purchase or installation of solar panels that are manufactured or assembled in the state.
(In Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee)

SB 216 (Yee-D)Public utilities: intrastate natural gas pipeline safety

Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to require automatic shut-off or remote controlled valves on certain natural gas facilities, and unless prohibited by federal law, to require automatic shut-off or remote controlled valves on intrastate natural gas transmission lines located in "high consequence areas" or that traverse an active seismic earthquake fault line.
Chapter 521, Statutes of 2011

SB 267* (Rubio-D)Renewable energy plants: water supply planning

Revises the definition of "project" to exclude a proposed photovoltaic or wind energy generation facility approved on or after the effective date of this bill that demands no more than 75-acre feet of water annually.
Chapter 588, Statutes of 2011

SB 297 (Cannella-R)Renewable energy resources: hydroelectric generation

Revises the definition of an eligible renewable energy resource to include a hydroelectric generation facility of any size, and removes other restrictions regarding which hydroelectric generation facilities meet the definition of an eligible renewable energy resource.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 343* (De León-D)Energy: efficiency

Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in Rulemaking 09-11-014, in consultation with the Energy Commission, the State Treasurer, and the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, to determine appropriate energy efficiency financing measures, programs, and funding sources for the residential, commercial, and public building sectors in order to achieve the statewide energy efficiency goals for those sectors identified in the California Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan adopted by the PUC.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

SB 370 (Blakeslee-R)Energy: net energy metering

Permits agricultural electricity customers who have installed solar or wind generation systems to aggregate the electricity use of adjacent properties, in order to use the excess generation from solar or wind systems to offset all of the customer's electricity costs.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 372 (Blakeslee-R)Electricity: distributed generation

Requires each large electrical corporation, as defined, and large local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, to identify and designate zones within their service territory that are optimal for deployment of distributed generation, and to provide this information to the California Energy Commission (CEC) by 12/31/12 and requires the CEC, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, to develop guidelines for those electrical utilities to utilize in identifying and designating those zones.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 379 (Fuller-R)Telecommunications policies

Declares that the state's telecommunications policies include continuing universal service rate support for telephone corporations subject to rate of return regulation by the Public Utilities Commission for the purpose of providing rural areas of the state with access to telecommunications service.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

SB 383 (Wolk-D)Community-Based Renewable Energy Self-Generation Program

Repeals various provisions relating to the renewable energy self-generation program and the Public Utilities Commission regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities. Enacts the Community-Based Renewable Energy Self-Generation Program, which authorizes a retail customer of an electric utility to purchase a subscription, as defined, in a community facility, as defined, for the purpose of receiving a bill credit, as defined, to offset all or a portion of the customer's electricity usage, consistent with specified requirements. Provides that any corporation or person engaged directly or indirectly in developing, producing, delivering, participating in, or selling interests in, a community facility is not a public utility or electrical corporation solely by reason of engaging in any of those activities. Repeals provisions relating to the City of Davis.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

SB 410 (Wright-D)Public Interest Energy Research Program

Extends the sunset of the Public Interest Energy Research Program to 2022.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 440 (Vargas-D)Geothermal energy: power facility and site certification

Authorizes a county, that has in effect an equivalent certification program approved by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to site a geothermal powerplant of up to 100 megawatts under its program.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 454 (Pavley-D)Energy efficiency standards

Authorizes the California Energy Commission to adopt an administrative enforcement process, including civil penalties, for violations of its appliance efficiency standards. Requires utility energy efficiency rebates to be provided only if work complies with applicable permitting and contractor licensing requirements.
Chapter 591, Statutes of 2011

SB 467 (Pavley-D)Contracts for energy efficiency products or services

Requires the Department of General Services to deem a contract for an energy efficiency product or service to be a no-cost or net-neutral cost contract when funding is provided, as specified, and to place energy efficiency providers on the Master Services Agreement for direct procurement instead of competitive bidding.
(In Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee)

SB 489 (Wolk-D)Electricity: net energy metering

Revises the definition of an eligible customer-generator to instead 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 State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. Repeals an expired pilot project which for "wholesale" net energy metering that permits biogas digester customer-generators to offset their electricity usage with electricity generated from methane emitted from manure or other forms of biogas digestion, sized to offset part or all of the eligible biogas digester customer-generator's own electrical requirements.
Chapter 593, Statutes of 2011

SB 530* (Wright-D)Direct broadcast satellite television service: tax

Imposes a tax on direct broadcast satellite (DBS) television providers at a rate of 6% of gross revenues, as specified, until 1/1/20. The Board of Equalization (BOE) would administer the tax pursuant to the Fee Collection Procedures Law and deposit the revenues in the General Fund for transfer to the Local Safety and Protection Account, which is re-established by this bill as a continuously appropriated fund, specifies a procedure for temporarily suspending the imposition of the tax if the revenues collected are being used for unauthorized purposes, and requires the Legislative Analyst's Office, in collaboration with BOE, to conduct a study to assess the impact of the DBS tax.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 536* (DeSaulnier-D)Public utility power plant: City of Oakley

Revises property tax allocation formulas to allow the property tax revenues from a public utility power plant in Contra Costa County to be allocated to the Oakley Redevelopment Agency at the expense of other local entities in the county.
Chapter 710, Statutes of 2011

SB 564 (Evans-D)Energy efficiency

Requires the Public Utilities Commission, in evaluating energy efficiency investments, to ensure that local and regional interests, multifamily dwellings, and energy service industry capabilities are incorporated into an electrical corporation's energy efficiency program portfolio design, and to encourage participation from local governments, community-based organizations, and energy efficiency service providers in program design, revision, and implementation, where appropriate. Requires an electrical corporation, when developing or revising its energy efficiency program portfolio design, to collaborate with, and seek comments from, county climate protection authorities or other public agencies that are directly authorized to implement regional or countywide climate protection and energy efficiency programs.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 569 (Kehoe-D)Alternative & Renewable Fuel & Vehicle Technology Program

Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to ensure that projects or programs involving electrical work, as defined, are creating pathways into skilled, high-paying careers. Requires electrical work involved in a project or program to be performed by a licensed electrical contractor or a state-certified general electrician working under a licensed electrical contractor. Requires a project or program involving electrical work to include partnership with one or more existing electrical joint apprenticeship programs in the geographic area of the project or program.
(In Senate Transportation and Housing Committee)

SB 585* (Kehoe-D)Energy: solar energy systems: funding

Allows the Public Utilities Commission to authorize investor owned utilities to continue to collect funds from ratepayers so that a funding shortfall within the California Solar Initiative can be addressed.
Chaptered 312, Statutes of 2011

SB 672 (Fuller-R)Electricity: rates: interregional parity

Expands the direct access cap for all customers to the average provided by each investor owned utility through 1/1/12, and eliminates the cap on direct access for all non-residential customers that are non-profit organizations which is undefined.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 674 (Padilla-D)Telecommunications: master-metering: data security

Repeals the California High Speed Internet Access Act of 1999, clarifies that contracts between utilities and third parties to facilitate a customer's access to consumption data require a customer's prior consent for the third party use and release of a customer's data for a secondary commercial purpose, and excludes from the definition of rebate an incentive received from the California Solar Initiative for a solar thermal or photovoltaic system that service only a mobilehome park.
Chapter 255, Statutes of 2011

SB 679 (Pavley-D)Energy: energy conservation projects: financial assistance

Appropriates $25 million to the Energy Conservation Assistance Account from $50 million previously appropriated from the Renewable Resource Trust Fund to the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority to support Property Assessed Clean Energy programs.
Chapter 597, Statutes of 2011

SB 682 (Rubio-D)Oil and gas: underground injection of gas

Authorizes the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources in the Department of Conservation to permit the underground injection of a gas and requires the Division to establish standards for the permitting of gas injection.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

SB 705 (Leno-D)Utilities: natural gas: service and safety

Requires natural gas utilities regulated by the Public Utilities Commission to develop service and safety plans.
Chapter 522, Statutes of 2011

SB 730 (Kehoe-D)Plug-In Electric Vehicle Readiness Pilot Program

Requires the California Energy Commission to develop a pilot project to streamline the permitting of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and consumer education.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 771 (Kehoe-D)Alternative energy & advanced transportation financing

Specifies that landfill and digester gas turbines, engines, and microturbines may be considered renewable energy eligible for financial assistance under the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority Act.
Chapter 598, Statutes of 2011

SB 790 (Leno-D)Electricity: community choice aggregation

Revises and expands the definition of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), requires the Public Utilities Commission to initiate a Code of Conduct rulemaking, and allows CCAs to receive Public Purpose funds to administer energy efficiency programs.
Chapter 599, Statutes of 2011

SB 836 (Padilla-D)Renewable energy resources: cost reporting

Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to release the costs of all contracts, in aggregate form, submitted by investor-owned utilities to meet the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard goal, which are approved by the PUC. The first data release will be required by no later than 2/1/12, and annually thereafter.
Chapter 600, Statutes of 2011

SB 843 (Wolk-D)Energy: electrical corporations: City of Davis

Enacts the Community-Based Renewable Energy Self-Generation Program. The Program authorizes a retail customer of an electrical corporation to purchase a subscription, as defined, in a community facility, as defined, for the purpose of receiving a bill credit, as defined, to offset all or a portion of the customer's electricity usage, consistent with specified requirements.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

SB 854 (Blakeslee-R)Renewable energy resources

Requires an obligated party to procure an amount of renewable energy credits (RECs), as defined, sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the party's renewables portfolio standard (RPS), as defined, procurement requirements. Obligated parties would be defined to include an electrical corporation, electric service provider, community choice aggregator, and local publicly owned electric utility. Requires the California Energy Commission to design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the RPS by all obligated parties and deletes the separate requirement that it certify the eligibility of RECs associated with deliveries of electricity to a local publicly owned electric utility. Requires every electrical corporation that owns electrical transmission facilities to annually prepare and submit a report to the Public Utilities Commission that contains specified matter and identifies any electrical transmission facility, upgrade, or enhancement that is reasonably necessary to achieve the RPS procurement requirements.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 855 (Kehoe-D)Electric service: direct transactions

Modifies the annual maximum allowable total kilowatt hour limit for each electrical corporation to include the total kilowatt hours of new load previously authorized and implemented by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) pursuant to a specified statute. Requires the PUC to adopt a specified schedule to phase in the allowable amount of increased kilowatt hours by 7/1/12, instead of 7/1/10. Changes an existing requirement that the PUC review and modify its currently effective rules governing direct transactions to instead authorize the PUC to perform such review and modification.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

SB 859 (Padilla-D)Electrical corporations/public utilities: vehicle records

Allows confidential home address information in Department of Motor Vehicles' records to be disclosed to an electrical corporation or public utility if the utility or its agent, under penalty of perjury, requests and uses the information only for the purpose of identifying where an electric vehicle is registered.
Chapter 346, Statutes of 2011

SB 870 (Padilla-D)Energy: Clean Energy Innovation Program: natural gas

Establishes the California Energy Innovation Program for the purpose of funding energy-related research, development, and demonstration (RD&D), contingent on reauthorization of public goods charge funding for RD&D.
(On Senate Unfinished Business File)

SB 879 (Padilla-D)Utilities: natural gas pipelines: safety

Directs the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in any ratemaking proceeding in which PUC authorizes a gas corporation to recover expenses for the inspection, maintenance, or repair of natural gas transmission pipelines, to establish and maintain a one-way balancing account for the recovery of those expenses. Increases the penalty per violation from $20,000 to $50,000 for violation of statute, commission rules, orders, or other directives.
Chapter 523, Statutes of 2011

SB 881 (Corbett-D)Renewable energy projects: siting: land use planning

Requires the Office and Planning and Research to compile information relevant to the siting and permitting of renewable energy projects and post that information on the Internet.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 905 (Wolk-D)Telecommunications: universal service

Requires a billing telephone corporation to resolve complaints, billing inquiries, and refund requests from its subscribers and prohibit the billing telephone corporation from referring its subscribers to a service provider, billing agent, or billing aggregator.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 932 (Leno-D)Cellular telephones: notice requirement

Requires cellular telephone retailers to prominently display a notice (1) adjacent to the purchase price at the retail location, (2) on the retailers' Web site, and (3) on the exterior packaging of the phone. Requires the following notice: "This device emits radiofrequency (RF) energy. Do not hold or carry it directly against the body when connected to a network or you may be exposed to levels greater than the safety limit established by the Federal Communications Commission. Consult the user's manual for additional information on safe use."
(On Senate Inactive File)

SB 939 (Wright-D)Natural gas surcharge

Repeals the requirement that the surcharge on ratepayers, collected by investor-owned gas utilities regulated by the Public Utilities Commission for natural gas public purpose programs, be remitted to the Board of Equalization, thereby removing the availability of these monies for redirection by the Legislature to the General Fund.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 1X1 (Steinberg-D)Clean Technology and Renewable Energy Job Training

Establishes the Clean Technology and Renewable Energy Job Training, Career Technical Education, and Dropout Prevention Program for the purpose of creating California Partnership Academies that focus on clean technology and renewable energy businesses, as specified.
Chapter 2, Statutes of 2011, First Extraordinary Session

SB 2X1 (Simitian-D)Energy: renewable energy resources

Requires investor owned utilities (IOUs), local publicly owned utilities (POUs) and energy service providers to increase purchases of renewable energy such that at least 33% of retail sales are procured from renewable energy resource by 12/31/20. In the interim each entity is required to procure an average of 20% of renewable energy for the period of 1/1/11 through 12/31/16, and 33% by 2020. Revises certain terms used in the Renewable Energy Resource Program and revises certain eligibility criteria for a renewable electrical generation facility. Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) by 1/1/12 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% of retail sales by 12/31/16, and 33% of retail sales by 12/31/20, and that retail sellers procure not less than 33% of retail sales in all subsequent years, as specified. Requires the PUC to design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (RPS) requirements by retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities and to adopt regulations by 7/1/11 specifying procedures for enforcement of RPS's requirements that include a public process, as specified. Requires the PUC to submit a report to various legislation committees, as specified items concerning costs and activities conducted by electrical corporations or gas corporations by February 1 of each year. Requires the PUC by 7/1/11 to determine the effective local carrying capacity of wind and solar energy resources on the electrical grid. Requires the Department of Fish and Game to establish an internal division with the primary purpose of performing comprehensive planning and environmental compliance services with priority given to projects involving the building of eligible renewable energy resources. Requires the Independent System Operator and other California balancing authorities to work together to integrate and interconnect eligible renewable resources to the transmission grid, as specified. Appropriates $322,000 from the PUC reimbursement account to the PUC for additional staffing to identify, review, and approve transmission lines reasonably necessary or appropriate to facilitate achievement of the renewable portfolio standard.
Chapter 1, Statutes of 2011, First Extraordinary Session

SB 28X1 (Padilla-D)Clean Energy Jobs and Investment Act

Extends the requirement to collect the public goods charge to 1/1/20, and increases the amount of funds the Public Utilities Commission would require the electrical corporations to collect through the public goods charge.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 29X1 (Steinberg-D)Energy: energy efficiency programs

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to fund mechanisms to finance comprehensive energy efficiency retrofits of specified building sectors.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SCR 6 (Lowenthal-D)Affordable housing: in-home Internet service accessibility

Encourages state and local multifamily housing lending agencies to align their policies on the provision of free Internet access with those of the Tax Credit Allocation Committee.
Resolution Chapter 72, Statutes of 2011

SJR 11 (Padilla-D)Energy efficiency standards: light bulbs

Urges the California delegation in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to vote against any proposed legislation, including HR 2417, that would weaken federal energy efficiency standards or constrain California's long-recognized authority to enact its own standards to promote energy efficiency.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

SJR 13 (Vargas-D)Public utilities: cross-border transmission lines

Calls upon the United States Department of Energy to reject an application for a cross-border presidential permit authorizing Energía Sierra Juárez U.S. Transmission LLC to construct, operate, and maintain electric transmission facilities at the United States-Mexico border.
Resolution Chapter 96, Statutes of 2011

SR 19 (Hancock-D)Joint Bioenergy Institute

Extends the Senate's congratulations and commendations for an extremely successful and productive five years to the Joint Bioenergy Institute (JBEI) in furthering energy security and improved environmental stewardship of the planet to the Sandia National Laboratories, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Carnegie Institution for Science, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Davis. Recognizes the value, leadership, and service that the JBEI brings to California, and affirms its support for the JBEI in California. Encourages the United States Department of Energy to support the renewal of the JBEI, keeping in mind the unmatched scientific, academic, and business resources present in California that are helping to deliver a tremendous return on the federal government's investments.
Adopted by the Senate

AB 15 (V. Manuel Pérez-D)Energy: workforce development

Requires the California Workforce Investment Board, by 7/1/12, in consultation with the Green Collar Jobs Council, to establish the California Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative to ensure green collar career placement and advancement opportunities within California's renewable energy generation, manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, and operation sectors that is targeted toward specified populations.
(In Assembly Labor and Employment Committee)

AB 37* (Huffman-D)Utilities: smart grid deployment: smart meters

Requires the Public Utilities Commission, by 1/1/12, to identify alternative options for customers of electrical corporations that decline the installation of wireless advanced metering infrastructure devices, commonly referred to as smart meters, as part of an approved smart grid deployment plan.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 50* (Hill-D)San Bruno gas explosion

Deems the San Bruno explosion to be a qualified disaster for purposes of disaster payments, thereby allowing taxpayers to exclude disaster relief payments from state income and provides similar treatment for involuntary conversions resulting from a disaster.
Chapter 18, Statutes of 2011

AB 56 (Hill-D)Gas corporations: rate recovery and expenditure

Implements numerous safety-related measures regarding the operation of natural gas pipeline facilities regulated by the Public Utilities Commission.
Chapter 519, Statutes of 2011

AB 95 (Assembly Budget Committee)Public Utilities Commission: Budget Trailer Bill

Enacts the Resources Budget trailer bill which, among other provisions, requires the Public Utilities Commission to report by January 10 of every year, interactions with a newly established foundation-the California Public Utilities Commission Foundation.
Chapter 2, Statutes of 2011

AB 136 (Beall-D)Telecommunications: universal service: speech disabilities

Expands the Public Utilities Commission Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program to include assistance to individuals with speech disabilities by 1/1/14.
Chapter 404, Statutes of 2011

AB 204* (Halderman-R)Biomass energy facilities and equipment

Establishes a partial sales and use tax exemption for equipment purchased by a "biomass energy facility" for use in its biomass energy production in this state.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 279* (Garrick-R)Wireless communication devices: sales tax

Provides that, for purposes of the Sales and Use Tax Law, "gross receipts" and "sales price" from the retail sale of a "wireless communication device" shall be limited to the amount charged for the sale of the "wireless telecommunication device" when it is sold in a "bundled transaction."
(In Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 284 (Nestande-R)Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan: Coachella Valley

Excludes any area covered by the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan from the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan.
(In Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee)

AB 306 (Gatto-D)Energy: piezoelectric transducers: study

Requires, until 1/1/15, the California Energy Commission to conduct research on generating electricity using piezoelectric technology under roadways and railways and establish pilot projects employing this technology.
Vetoed

AB 391 (Pan-D)Energy: renewable energy resources

Authorizes rules permitting the local utility to apply excess procurement in one compliance period to subsequent compliance periods in the same manner as allowed for retail sellers, with certain specified exceptions.
(On Senate Inactive File)

AB 449 (Mitchell-D)Telecommunications: mobile telephony service

Requires a mobile telephony services provider, upon activation of service, to cause an emergency contact information number, as defined, to be programmed into the subscriber's mobile telephone, unless the subscriber expressly declines, in writing, to have this service performed.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 512 (Gordon-D)Local government renewable energy self-generation program

Increases the capacity of a powerplant from one megawatt (MW) to five MWs that will be eligible for a local government program that allows a municipality to generate electricity at one location to offset electricity usage at another municipal location, but does not apply to an electrical corporation with 60,000 or fewer customer accounts.
Chapter 478, Statutes of 2011

AB 523 (Valadao-R)Ethanol

Makes ethanol derived from corn ineligible for funding from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, and repeals related requirements.
(In Assembly Transportation Committee)

AB 591 (Wieckowski-D)Oil and gas production: hydraulic fracturing

Requires operators of oil and natural gas wells to provide information on hydraulic fracturing to the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources, for publication on the Division's Web site.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 603 (V. Manuel Pérez-D)Energy: renewable resources: endangered species

Authorizes the Department of Fish and Game, under the California Endangered Species Act, to design and implement mitigation actions - actions to protect, restore, or enhance the habitat of plants and wildlife that can be used to fully mitigate the impacts of the take of endangered, threatened, or candidate species - for proposed wind and geothermal powerplants in the planning area subject to the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 631 (Ma-D)Public utilities: electric vehicle charging stations

Exempts from the definition of a public utility a facility that supplies electricity to the public only for use to charge light duty plug-in electric vehicles.
Chapter 480, Statutes of 2011

AB 638 (Skinner-D)Fuel resources

Requires the Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission to work to reduce California's onroad petroleum fuel use and to increase use of alternative transportation fuels.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 642 (Charles Calderon-D)Renewable energy: biomass: algae

Provides that "biomass" includes algae in the existing provisions.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 644 (Blumenfield-D)Energy: renewable energy facility: siting

Requires the California Energy Commission to establish criteria for identifying closed disposal sites, brownfields, and degraded agricultural lands that have high potential for use as sites for renewable generation facilities, and prepare a list of lands that meet these criteria.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 721 (Bradford-D)Renewable energy resources: solar energy systems

Expands the definition of an eligible renewable energy resource to include a facility that generates, or a renewable energy credit associated with the generation of, electricity from an eligible solar energy system that receives monetary incentives pursuant to specified law.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 723* (Bradford-D)Energy: public goods charge

Extends the Public Goods Charge until 1/1/20, leaving in place existing allocations.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 724* (Bradford-D)Clean Energy Jobs and Investment Act

Enacts the Clean Energy, Jobs and Investment Act. Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to require the state's three largest electrical corporations to collect the public goods charge until 1/1/20. Requires the PUC to develop and authorize fund mechanisms to finance comprehensive energy efficiency programs for residential, commercial, industrial, and public building sectors; establishes criteria by which the PUC would evaluate the state's energy efficiency investments. Requires the PUC to administer funds generated by the collection of the public good charge that is allocated for energy efficiency.
(Failed passage on Senate Floor)

AB 725 (Bradford-D)Utility service

Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in consultation with electrical corporations, telephone corporations, and representatives of local government, to open an appropriate proceeding to evaluate whether to amend, revise, or improve its rules for replacing overhead electrical and communications facilities with underground facilities, and requires the PUC to submit a report relative to its evaluation to the Legislature by 6/30/12.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 770 (Torres-D)Emergency telephone systems

Requires the Public Safety Communications Office to develop standards for the training of local 911 dispatchers, and adds two additional members to the 911 Advisory Board.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 796 (Blumenfield-D)Clean energy: Capital Access Loan Program

Requires the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority to establish the Clean Energy Economy and Jobs Incentive Program to provide financial assistance in the form of specified financing mechanisms for an applicant to promote the commercialization and manufacturing of a project in eligible clean energy technology areas. Establishes the Clean Energy Economy and Jobs Incentive Program Fund in the State Treasury and, upon appropriation by the Legislature, authorizes the Authority to expend moneys in the Fund to implement the Program. Repeals the Program on 1/1/18.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

AB 838 (Hill-D)Public Utilities Commission: public safety

Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to designate one of its members as being responsible for overseeing the public safety oversight and supervision responsibilities of the commission and to ensure that public safety is a primary goal in all proceedings before the PUC. Requires the PUC to designate one employee dedicated to public safety functions of the PUC who will work directly with that commissioner and advise that commissioner, and the PUC when requested, relative to all matters that may affect the public safety that are within the responsibility of the PUC. Requires the designated commissioner to annually appear before the appropriate policy committees of the Senate and Assembly to report on the public safety oversight and supervision activities of the PUC.
(In Assembly Rules Committee)

AB 841* (Buchanan-D)Telecommunications: universal service: VoIP

Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to require interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol service providers to collect and remit state universal surcharges on their California intrastate revenues.
Chapter 685, Statutes of 2011

AB 850 (Gordon-D)Energy efficiency: state buildings

Reverses the roles played by the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the Department of General Services (DGS) in developing the state's multi-year plan to encourage energy efficiency in state facilities. Places the CEC in charge of developing the plan and requires it to do so in consultation with DGS. Adds water conservation to the plan's goals and requires the CEC to solicit input from both public and private entities.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 864 (Huffman-D)Electricity: self-generation incentive program

Expands the size of eligible facilities to 10 megawatts (MWs) but incentives would be paid for up to five MWs. Incentives for technologies greater than three MWs in size would be based on a declining schedule. The incentives could only be paid if the technology meets cost-effectiveness tests developed by the Public Utilities Commission in a pending rulemaking.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 865* (Nestande-R)Solar energy: property tax: exclusion

Extends the "new construction" exclusion for active solar energy systems to improvements constructed through the 2032-33 fiscal year.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 904 (Skinner-D)Energy efficiency

Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to evaluate the efficacy of energy efficiency programs within the commission's jurisdiction and requires the PUC, as part of a specified existing proceeding, to ensure that energy efficiency programs under review in that proceeding.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 932 (Blumenfield-D)Renewable Transition Financing Act

Enacts the Renewable Transition Financing Act, which authorizes a financing entity, as defined, to issue green rate reduction bonds, as defined, for the recovery of transition costs, as defined, by an electrical corporation.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 976 (Hall-D)Public contracts: consulting services

Prohibits an entity that has been awarded a consulting services contract for the formation of a community choice aggregation to be awarded a contract for any work which is the end product of that consulting services contract.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 982 (Skinner-D)Energy: land exchange for renewable energy-related projects

Requires the State Lands Commission (SLC) to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) by 4/1/12, 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. Requires the SLC, by January 1 of each year, to report to the Legislature on the status of the MOA and school land consolidation efforts for renewable energy-related projects.
Chapter 485, Statutes of 2011

AB 1027 (Buchanan-D)Local publicly owned electric utilities

Requires local publicly owned electric utilities, including irrigation districts, to make appropriate space and capacity on and in their utility poles and support structures available for use by communication service providers.
Chapter 580, Statutes of 2011

AB 1050* (Ma-D)Telecommunications: prepaid mobile telephony services

Enacts the Prepaid Wireless Surcharge Collection Act. Establishes a prepaid communications charge, as defined, based upon a percentage of the sales price of each retail transaction that occurs in this state for prepaid mobile telephony services, as defined. The prepaid communications charge would include a state component, as defined, and if a local government has adopted utility user taxes or other specified charges that are otherwise applicable to prepaid mobile telephony services and the retail transaction occurs within that jurisdiction.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

AB 1054 (Skinner-D)Energy: clean energy financing

Requires the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority to administer a Clean Energy Reserve Program that would be developed by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the Authority to reduce the costs to property owners of a loan provided by a financial institution that has a loan program that satisfies specified requirements. Requires the Authority to report annually specified information regarding the reserve program. Increases the amount of the appropriation that may be expended for initial administrative costs to $550,000 thereby making an appropriation.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 1055 (Hill-D)Public Utilities Commission

Prohibits a Commissioner or employee of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) from knowingly soliciting charitable, political, or other contributions from any person or corporation subject to regulation by the PUC, or from any person that represents any entity subject to PUC regulation.
Vetoed

AB 1064 (Furutani-D)Air quality: ports

Makes a prohibition regarding funding for usable projects inapplicable for a shore side electrical power infrastructure project that is administered by a California port, and requires that the individual segments of these projects be a part of an adopted terminal plan submitted to the Air Resources Board, and authorizes the Board for a specified purpose to allow a recipient agency for shore side electrical power infrastructure to average vessel calls made across multiple berths within a terminal.
(In Assembly Environmental Quality Committee)

AB 1073 (Fuentes-D)Electrical corporation energy efficiency programs

Requires that a written building or construction permit be submitted when customers apply to electric utilities for ratepayer funded energy efficiency incentives.
(On Senate Inactive File)

AB 1074* (Fuentes-D)Telecommunications: personal liability immunity

Provides that a retail or wholesale service provider of telecommunications service, or other service, involved in providing 9-1-1 service, as specified, shall not be liable for any civil claim, damage, or loss caused by an act or omission in the design, development, installation, maintenance, or provision of 9-1-1 service. This immunity would not apply, however, if the act or omission that proximately caused the claim, damage, or loss constituted gross negligence, wanton or willful misconduct, or intentional misconduct. The immunity also would not apply to services provided under tariff. Defines "public safety agency" and "9-1-1 service" for the purposes of this bill, and otherwise makes findings and declarations with respect to Next Generation 9-1-1 services.
Chapter 297, Statutes of 2011

AB 1112 (Huffman-D)Oil spill prevention and administration fee

Authorizes the Office of Spill Prevention and Response to raise the maximum per barrel assessment fee from $0.05 to $0.065 beginning 1/1/12, then reduce the fee back to $0.05 effective 1/1/15.
Chapter 583, Statutes of 2011

AB 1113 (Galgiani-D)Energy: agricultural byproducts

Replaces the existing pilot program for eligible biogas digester customer-generators with a net energy metering program for eligible customer-generators, as defined, that use agricultural residues, animal wastes, or animal renderings to generate electricity and that meet certain requirements.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1124 (Skinner-D)Low-Income Energy Efficiency program

Makes furnace and water heating system improvements eligible for the Low-Income Energy Efficiency Program.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1131 (Lara-D)Telecommunications: reporting requirements

Revises provisions relating to the identification and leasing of state property for wireless telecommunications facilities. Requires the Department of General Services to report by 1/31/12 on the number of wireless telecommunications lease agreements entered into with providers of wireless telecommunications services. The report would include the number of leases, revenue generated, and money deposited in the Digital Divide Account.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1150 (V. Manuel Pérez-D)Electricity: self-generation incentive program

Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to collect funds for an additional $83 million in 2012 from gas and electric ratepayers to fund the Self-Generation Incentive Program through 12/31/14.
Chapter 310, Statutes of 2011

AB 1160 (Hill-D)Public utility employees: whistleblowers

Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to establish a comprehensive whistleblower protection program to protect public utility employees from management retaliation for bringing information to the PUC or other public entities regarding unreported safety issues. Requires a public utility to file a completed report with the PUC within 30 days as to any final judgment, arbitration award, compromise, or settlement in excess of $50,000 in any civil action brought by an employee or former employee of the utility against the utility. Authorizes the PUC to limit this reporting requirement to those particular types of claims that the PUC determines are likely to involve claims of retaliation, or to exclude from the duty to report particular claims that the PUC determines are highly unlikely to involve claims of retaliation. Requires the PUC to develop and adopt a report form to be used by a public utility to comply with the reporting requirements.
(In Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee)

AB 1186 (Skinner-D)Electrical generation: source disclosures

Requires all retail suppliers of electricity, in their statutorily required disclosures of the percentage of annual sales from specified energy sources, to separate natural gas used for conventional powerplant and peaker plant generation from natural gas used for combined heat and power system generation.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1214 (Skinner-D)Electricity: electrical transmission

Requires the Public Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator to coordinate the planning and approval of transmission facilities serving renewable generation that will be built in order to meet the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard goal of 33% by 2020.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1268 (Blumenfield-D)Telecommunications: usage notification

For a subscriber to a service plan that requires payment for a set amount of airtime or text messaging where the subscriber pays additional charges if that amount of airtime or text messages is exceeded, requires that the provider of mobile telephony services alert the subscriber when the set allotment of airtime or text messages has been reached. Requires that a provider of mobile data services, including a provider of mobile telephony services that includes mobile data service, to provide subscribers with a means by which a subscriber can obtain reasonably current and available information on the subscriber's mobile data service usage and charges. For a subscriber to a service plan that requires payment for a set volume of data or amount of connection time for mobile data service, where the subscriber pays additional charges if that volume or amount of connection time is exceeded, require that the provider of mobile data services alert the subscriber when the set volume or amount of connection time has been reached. Prohibits a provider of mobile telephony services from charging a subscriber for providing notice that they have used their allotment of airtime or text messages and would prohibit a provider of mobile data services from charging a subscriber for providing notice that they have used their allotted volume or connection time of mobile data services.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1302 (Williams-D)Electricity: distributed generation

Requires electrical utilities to designate areas within their service areas as optimal for deployment of distributed generation.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1303* (Williams-D)Energy programs

Extends Public Utilities Act to 1/1/20 and increases the amount collected to $90,000,000 for research, development, and demonstration. Extends to 1/1/20, the authorization to expend moneys in the Renewable Resource Trust Fund for the implementation of renewable resources programs, and revises and recasts the legislative recommendations on the allocation of the moneys in the Fund.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1339* (Gorell-R)Emergency standby generators: income tax credits

Allows a credit under both the Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law for costs incurred in purchasing and installing an emergency standby generator at a service station so that service stations can provide services during power outages.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1347 (Grove-R)Oil and gas: geothermal: operations: enforcement actions

Requires the court's inquiry to extend to whether the decision of the Director of Conservation was unreasonable.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 1361 (Perea-D)Electricity: net metering

Revises the definition of an eligible customer-generator to include a state agency, as defined and requires that the generating capacity of a facility used by a state agency not exceed five megawatts pursuant to both the net energy metering requirements and the wind energy co-metering requirements.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1370 (Roger Hernández-D)Public Utilities Commission: policies: ratepayers' interest

Revises the definition of what is the ratepayer's interest and requires that activities that benefit ratepayers be measured by the program's impact on rates and costs and benefits of the program from the perspective of ratepayers, determined by calculating a benefit versus cost ratio greater than one on a total portfolio basis.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1376* (Nestande-R)Electrical energy production: sales taxes: exemption

Establishes a partial sales and use tax exemption for qualified tangible personal property used to produce electrical energy from renewable sources.
(In Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 1386 (Bradford-D)Cable television corporations/direct broadcast providers

Encourages cable television corporations and direct broadcast satellite providers to voluntarily adopt a plan for increasing women, minority, and disabled veteran business enterprise procurement and to voluntarily report activity in this area to the Legislature on an annual basis. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to make this annual report available on its Internet Web site.
Chapter 443, Statutes of 2011

AB 1390 (Assembly Utilities And Commerce Committee)Energy crisis litigation

Requires the Attorney General, until 1/1/13, to succeed the Electricity Oversight Board in any litigation or settlement to obtain electricity ratepayer relief as a result of the 2000-02 energy crisis.
Chapter 179, Statutes of 2011

AB 1391 (Bradford-D)Energy Commission: penalties

Transfers fining authority for the failure of a local municipally owned utility to meet the Renewables Portfolio Standard from the Air Resources Board to the California Energy Commission.
(Failed passage on Senate Floor)

AB 1392 (Bradford-D)Energy

Authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 fiscal years, to transfer an amount of money as the Commission determines to be appropriate, up to a maximum of $50,000,000, from the moneys received from the federal act into the Energy Efficient State Property Revolving Fund. Requires the Commission to provide written notice to the State Controller on the amount and the timing of the transfer. Requires the Commission to notify, in writing, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
Chapter 488, Statutes of 2011

AB 13X1 (V. Manuel Pérez-D)Energy: renewable resources: endangered species

Expands existing permitting requirements for renewable energy projects to additional types of renewable energy projects, and requires the California Energy Commission to provide grants to local governments for renewable energy planning efforts.
Chapter 10, Statutes of 2011, First Extraordinary Session

AB 14X1 (Skinner-D)Energy: energy upgrade financing

Authorizes the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority to provide financial support to lenders to facilitate projects for energy and water conservation and renewable energy. The fund source is $50 million originally appropriated in SB 77 (Pavley-D), Chapter 15, Statutes of 2010.
Chapter 9, Statutes of 2011, First Extraordinary Session

AB 15X1* (Hill-D)Solar energy systems: property tax: exclusion

Revises the definition of "active solar energy systems" and declares the legislative intent to extend the current exclusion from property tax reassessment for purchases of new "active solar energy systems" to active solar energy systems that are sold in sale-leaseback arrangements.
Chapter 3, Statutes of 2011, First Extraordinary Session

AB 37X1 (Williams-D)Electrical restructuring: electrical resource adequacy

Repeals a requirement, adopted as part of electrical restructuring, that requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to authorize and facilitate direct transactions between electricity suppliers and retail end-use customers and that gives the right to end-use customers to aggregate their electrical loads on a voluntary basis by positive written declaration and requires every other provider of electric service to annually report to the PUC a list of each retail end-use customer to whom it provided electric service during the year, along with the address at which electric service was provided. Prohibits other providers, beginning 1/1/13, from providing electric service to any customer or customer address that was not listed in its annual report for the previous year.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

Index (in Bill Order)